November 14, 2014
Good afternoon.
I have had the opportunity
to sit in on, or walk through, several of the sessions scheduled for today’s
district-wide professional development day.
Please know that these days are scheduled and planned carefully and
deliberately to positively impact our level of service to you and your
children. Knowing that a day off for
students can cause challenges for work and family schedules, we do not take
these days lightly.
CONGRATULATIONS
and THANKS
Congratulations
to Leah Scheidt and cast/crew of “The Southfield Stories” for two great
performances last Friday night at the LHWHS Black Box Theater.
Congratulations
to Leah Alrutz and members of the 6th, 7th and 8th
grade Choirs and Chamber Singers for an outstanding concert this past Wednesday
evening at the LHWHS Performing Arts Center.
Thank
you to Laila Crabtree for organizing yesterday’s 7th grade class
trip to Trout Lodge and City Museum.
Thank you as well to all staff members and parent chaperones who made
this happen.
CALENDAR ITEMS
Monday, 11/17
LMS Canned Food Drive begins (see
below)
Last day for LMS Penny War
Tuesday, 11/25
LMS Turkey Trot and Assembly (see
below)
Wednesday, 11/26
through Friday, 11/28
Thanksgiving Break; No School
Monday, 12/1
Discovery Education (DE) testing
(through 12/4); Block Day schedules
·
12/1 – White
day/Periods 1, 3, 5, 7
·
12/2 – White
day/Periods 2, 4, 6, 8
·
12/3 – Blue
day/Periods 1, 3, 5, 7
·
12/4 – Blue
day/Periods 2, 4, 6, 8
Friday, 12/5
Hearing screenings
Ram Award Pizza day; all lunch shifts
Monday, 12/8
Scholastic Reading Inventory testing
for those students below grade level (through Friday, 12/12)
Wednesday, 12/10
LMS Orchestra concert, Grade 6; 7 pm;
LHWHS Performing Arts Center
Thursday, 12/11
LMS Band concert; 7 pm; LHWHS
Performing Arts Center
Friday, 12/12
Early Release day; Dismissal at 12:40
pm
Friday, 12/19
End of Semester 2
Monday, 12/22 through
Friday, January 2
Winter Break
Monday, 1/5
School resumes
CORRECTION/ADDITION(S)
NEW ITEMS
TED Talk
Tiffany, Janey, Roger and I had the opportunity
to view a TED Talk regarding “grit” at the recent National Forum on Character Education
and thought it should be shared. This
may also be included in the next LMSPA communication. Want to know more?
Enter
http://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit
into your search engine to view the less
than seven-minute presentation on YouTube.
Student
Fundraiser for Food Outreach
Matthew
Butz, LMS 8th grader, would like to hold a Hat Day to raise
funds for Food Outreach on Friday, November 21, in honor of his uncle.
This
non-profit organization is a nutrition resource for men, women, and
children living with HIV/AIDS or undergoing treatment for cancer in 174
zip codes throughout the metro St. Louis area, including various counties in
Illinois. Many of these clients are too weak to prepare meals, much less
shop for food. Others experience changes in appetite due to the treatment side
effects. Still others are undernourished because they are poor or because their
disease has made them poor.
For
a $1 donation, students will be able to wear hats in school that day.
Matthew will provide each with a sticker to designate that they have made a
contribution. Donations can be made on the morning of November 21, before
the beginning of school, in the LMS lobby.
Hidden
Valley ski pass information
LMS
Parents, are you interested in purchasing a discounted Hidden Valley season
pass for yourself or others? This pass is available for anyone. See the link below for more information:
http://bit.ly/LadueHV2014
If you
have questions, please email Mark Biernbaum @ mbiernbaum@ladueschools.net
Additional
Ski Trip information
Ski Trip dates:
·
Friday, January 9
·
Friday, January 23
·
Friday, January 30
·
Friday, February 6
·
Friday, February 20
·
Friday, February 27 (makeup date)
The following information was provided by LMS
teacher and Ski Trip coordinator Mark Biernbaum at meetings following Parents
to Lunch this past week:
·
Students will get changed here at LMS in
different areas of the school prior to leaving for Hidden Valley.
·
Buses will leave LMS right after school.
·
Please have your child bring all his/her ski
clothing with him to school.
·
Put names on all clothes and equipment. Gloves are a must (especially for beginners)
with toe rope.
·
If your child is taking their own
skis/snowboard, it will sit in the front lobby. If you are delivering it
to school please do so before 2 pm on the date of their trip.
·
Please have your child take at least 4
quarters for one time use lockers – sometimes change is a problem (their change
machine often runs out of quarters with the large number of students we
take). Remind kids not to lock up all
their money or they will have to pay again to open lockers when getting ready
to purchase dinner.
·
We strongly recommend helmets. Mr. Biernbaum
suggests purchasing one, rather than renting each day.
·
Kids who have never skied MUST take a lesson
at least the first day (January 9). Make sure you tell your kids they
must. Do not let other kids tell them they do not need it.
·
Buses return to LMS at 9:30 pm. Please try to carpool (450+ cars in our
parking lot can cause a major problem). Please
do not show up at 10 pm, as we have teachers waiting until all kids have
been picked up to leave.
·
Your child will NOT receive an actual ski pass
card, unless he/she goes to Hidden Valley on a day that our school does not
provide transportation. If or when kids do go on a Friday we
are not there, they will need to be with a parent or have some sort of picture
I.D to prove they are who they say they are. Then they will have their
picture taken and be given their actual card.
·
Send no less than $10 with your child for
dinner. For example, chicken strips, fries and a drink costs $10.25 (last
year). Prices are comparable to those at
6 Flags or the St. Louis Zoo.
·
Kids may go back to their lockers after
returning to LMS at 9:30 pm.
·
If your child is planning to stay late at Hidden
Valley after the LMS buses leave, he/she MUST have a note (signed by a
parent/guardian) and it needs to be given to the teacher/bus chaperone here at
LMS when getting on the bus. We cannot accept phone calls as permission.
Ski trip morning traffic tips from Greg:
·
Morning car traffic on Ski Trip Friday mornings is heavier
than normal.
·
Students take longer to unload from cars if they are bringing
equipment to school.
·
Students should carry their equipment to be stored in the LMS
Lobby during the day. Areas will be
designated by grade level.
·
It is highly encouraged that parents arrange car pools,
thereby reducing the overall number of cars on those mornings.
·
It is recommended that cars deliver students between 7:15 and
7:45 on those mornings, prior to the arrival of buses around 7:50 am.
UPDATED ITEMS
REPEAT ITEMS
Ladue Middle School 17th Annual Turkey Trot,
Penny War and Canned Food Drive
Penny Wars: November
10 – 17
Show that your grade level is the most caring and has the most
spirit. Each grade level will have a jug placed in the lobby all week for
donation collection. All pennies and checks (made out to Ladue Middle
School) placed into a jug count as a positive amount.
All silver coins and paper money counts as a negative dollar amount equivalent to their denomination.
The grade level with the greatest positive (or
least negative) amount at the end of the week
wins! All donations will go to Free the Children Create Change program
to help children and families in impoverished countries.
Canned Food Drive: November
17 – 24
LMS is collecting can and money donations for Gateway
180, an area shelter that distributes food and funds to many area homeless
shelters. There will be a competition to see which class at each grade
level can bring in the most cans. The class with the best overall per
student donation average will win a pizza party. The winning class at
each grade level will receive a soda and chip party. You may choose to
bring in money instead of cans. One can equals $.50 (make checks out to
Ladue Middle School). All cans will be turned into the before school
grade level waiting area (cafeteria or gym) and collected by parent volunteers
as well as members of the Social Justice Club and National Junior Honor
Society.
100 Can Club – All students bringing in 100 cans will receive a 100 Can Club
Certificate hung in the hall with their name on it and their name read on the
afternoon announcements. Members of the 100 Can Club will have the opportunity to throw a
pie in one of their favorite faculty member’s face!
Turkey Trot: November 25
A special Turkey Trot schedule will be created with shortened
periods that will allow for the running of three separate one-mile races, one
for each grade level, as well as an all school celebration at the end of the
school day.
All School Celebration Assembly:
November 25; 2:25 – 3:05 pm
We will recognize the winning grade level of penny war, the
winning classes of canned food drive, 100 can club members and turkey trot
winners. 100 can club members will be selected at this time to throw a pie
in the face of some of their favorite faculty members!
Canned Food Drive
Parent volunteers are needed for the LMS Canned Food Drive. This will occur Monday, November 17 through
Monday, November 24 (7:15 to 8:20 am).
Please contact Nancy Edwards (my Secretary) at nedwards@ladueschools.net or call (314) 983-5502 if you are
able to volunteer for this great event. We need one volunteer for each
grade per day. You do not
have to work every day. Working
even one morning would be a tremendous help.
LMSPA eBlasts
If you are
not currently receiving LMSPA email news blasts but would like to, please click
on the following link to subscribe:
Board Briefs
Information
regarding Ladue Board of Education meetings and work sessions can be found on boardbriefs.blogspot.com
Best wishes to the LHWHS
Rams Varsity Football players and coaches in tomorrow’s state playoff game
versus Jackson. The game is scheduled to
be played at St. Louis University High School (4970
Oakland Avenue), beginning at 1 pm.
Have a great weekend and
stay warm.
Greg
