November 13, 2015

Good afternoon.  I hope your week has gone well so far.

Our team made it back in one piece from our trip to Washington DC to receive our National Blue Ribbon School plaque and other goodies.  The awards ceremony was outstanding.  We were also able to attend the sessions offered by a variety of nationally recognized education practitioners from around the country, as well as compare notes with fellow middle school folks.  It is good to be home.  I am attaching a picture of us with Aba Kumi, Director of the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program to the Blackboard Connect parent email. 

CONGRATULATIONS and THANKS

Thank you to LMS teacher Angela Berrios and the student members of the Spanish Club for their recent donation of hand-made Halloween cards to the patients at Children’s Hospital.

Thank you to the LMS Diversity Cadre for the screening of Black Girl in Suburbia on Tuesday afternoon.  Special thanks go out to LMS teacher Lisa Kovarik for coordinating the event and to teachers Laila Crabtree, Christine Allen, Marion Allen, Sonja Brewer and Megan Grossbauer for facilitating the group discussions.

Thank you to all our teachers who provided Veterans’ Day-related activities for our students.  We truly honor the sacrifices made by our Veterans and current Service members and their families in service to our country.  Special thanks go out to our own Veterans, Ms. Amy Baniak and Mr. JB Tate.

CALENDAR ITEMS

Tuesday, 11/17

6^th Grade Parents to Lunch; 10:38 am (moved from 11/10)

Wednesday, 11/18

ELL Pie Night; 6:30 pm; Location TBD

Monday, 11/23

Fire Drill; Period 6 (approximately 12:55 pm, weather permitting)

Tuesday, 11/24

LMS Turkey Trot

Wednesday, 11/25 through Friday, 11/27

Thanksgiving Break; No School

Monday, 11/30

Discovery Ed testing (through Thursday, 12/3).  See below.

Monday, 12/7

SRI (Reading) assessments for selected students (through Thursday, 12/10)

Tuesday, 12/8

LMSPA Board meeting; 1 pm

Wednesday, 12/9

Orchestra Concert; Grade 6; LHWHS Performing Arts Center; 7 pm

Thursday, 12/10

Band Concert; LMS; 7 pm

Friday, 12/11

Early Release Day; 12:40 pm

Friday, 12/18

Early Release Day; 12:40 pm

Last Day for Quarter 2/Semester 1

Monday, 12/21

Winter Break (through Monday, 1/4)

CORRECTIONS/ADDITION

Please note that the dates for the LMS Turkey Trot and Thanksgiving Break have been corrected above.

HEALTHY THOUGHTS (from Nurse Patrick and Coach Wojtow)

NURSE NOTES

NEW ITEMS

School Closing Information

I realize that this was sent out previously from our Administrative Center, but just wanted to make sure you had this information.  I am attaching this to the Blackboard Connect parent email.

Activities prior to Thanksgiving

Please be aware that several after school activities may not meet on Tuesday, November 24.  We will make announcements and I will include updates on this as we get more information.

DE 2 Testing

We conduct what we call “benchmark testing” each year to track student growth.  This is through a program called Discovery Education (DE).  The initial testing occurred in early September.  Round 2 is scheduled for November 30 through December 3.  In order to get our testing completed during these four days, we run a Block Day schedule, holding four class periods each day instead of our normal eight. 

The schedule we will follow during this week will be:

Monday – Periods 1, 3, 5, 7 (Blue day for 6^th grade Electives/Explo)

Tuesday – Periods 2, 4, 6, 8 (Blue day for 6^th grade Electives/Explo)

Wednesday – Periods 1, 3, 5, 7 (White day for 6^th grade Electives/Explo)

Thursday – Periods 2, 4, 6, 8 (White day for 6^th grade Electives/Explo)

On Friday of that week, we will run a normal eight-period day.

UPDATED ITEMS

REPEAT ITEMS

Chartwells Food Service student survey

Chartwells Dining Services would like your student to give feedback in a short survey that will help provide better service at breakfast and lunch at LMS.  The questions are short and simple but the feedback will be invaluable to them in order to create a better lunch program.  Please have your student go to the following link between November 6 and 16.  Please encourage them to give helpful feedback.

https://www.bvfpulse.com/prod/pulse.site/t/3IPM

Thanksgiving Fundraiser Activities

Here is a rundown of this year's events related to the penny wars, canned food drive and turkey trot.  

Penny Wars: November 9 through 12

Students will show that their grade level is the most caring and has the most spirit by donating to Free The Children.  Each grade level will have a jug placed in the lobby from November 9 through November 12 for donation collection.  All donations will go to Free The Children to help children and families in impoverished countries.  All pennies and checks (made out to Ladue Middle School) placed into a jug count as positive amounts.  All silver coins and paper money count as negative amounts equivalent to their denomination.  The grade level with the greatest positive (or least negative) amount after November 12 wins (Principal Note:  Although we all win by helping support this worthwhile cause).
Canned Food Drive:  November 16 through 23
LMS is collecting can and money donations for Gateway 180, an area shelter that distributes food and funds to many area homeless shelters.  Students will turn in donations before school in their morning grade level areas.  The class with the best overall per student donation average plus highest percentage of class participation will win a pizza party.  The class at each grade level with the highest per student average plus highest percentage of class participation will receive a soda and chip party.  Students may choose to bring in money instead of cans.  One canned food item equals $.50 (checks can be made out to Ladue Middle School).

100 Can Club:  All students bringing in 100 cans (equivalent to $50) 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 their name placed into a drawing for the opportunity to throw a pie in one of their favorite faculty member’s face.  All staff members willing to donate their face to a whip cream pie will be asked to do so during the event described below.
Turkey Trot:  November 24

We invite all staff, administration and parents to join LMS in the running of this year’s 18th Annual Turkey Trot.  You can choose to run the 1-mile course or walk an alternate course.  There will be an alternate schedule this day to allow time for running the trot as well as a celebration at the end of the day.  All start times will be adhered to unless we need to change because of weather.
6th Grade Turkey Trot – 1:01 pm – 1:39 pm
7th Grade Turkey Trot – 11:07 am – 11:45 am
8th Grade Turkey Trot – 11:49 am – 12:27 pm
The top male and female finisher at each grade level as well as staff will receive a special trophy.  The top 10 male and top 10 female finishers at each grade level will receive a commemorative turkey trot t-shirt.
All-School Celebration Assembly:  Tuesday, November 24; 2:25 – 3:05
At the end of the school day on November 24 we will have an all-school assembly to recognize the winning grade level of the 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.

Field Trips and payment options

We are now providing a third payment option (if needed) for field trips.  This will be an online option through the MySchoolBucks program (currently being provided to make online payments to student lunch accounts) through a section designated School Store.  MySchoolBucks can be accessed through our district website, near the bottom of the page.

Our first two preferred forms of payment for future field trips will be either the online option noted above or by personal check.  Should either of these payment options not be possible, we will accept cash as a last resort.

If you prefer to take advantage of this online option, please look for the “Field Trip title” noted on the permission form sent home with your student, as well as the “Open date” and “Closing date” to submit payment.

Ski Trip Dates

The following are Ski Trip dates for 2016:

·      Jan 8

·      Jan 15

·      Jan 29

·      Feb 5

·      Feb 19
Feb 26 - Make up day if needed

LHWHS Renovation Initiative Information

For your information, the Ladue Schools Today - High School Renovation Initiative segment is now online. 

LMSPA eBlasts

     If you are not currently receiving LMSPA email news blasts but would like to, please click on the following link to subscribe:

http://mylmspa.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=8186aab01aeae3b063b04d395&id=3b63071451

Board Briefs

     Information regarding Ladue Board of Education meetings and work sessions can be found on boardbriefs.blogspot.com

Have a great remainder to your Friday and weekend.

Greg