TJs Tidbits


WELCOME BACK AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! I wish you all many blessings and prosperity
during this upcoming year. Although it was short, I hope the break treated families well and
you were able to take advantage of the time away from school and time with each other. I
enjoyed being able to relax with my hubby and son. Being able to spend quality time together
as a family without the hustle and bustle of school is absolutely the BEST, especially
around the holidays. Our staff is excited about getting get back and look forward to the
arrival of our students bright and early tomorrow. If I were to guess, parents are ready to
send them back to us (smile). Let the good times roll! See you soon.



NEW INFORMATION


NEW SCHOOL NURSE
Nurse Sherra Daughhetee resigned the week before Winter Break. We have hired
Ms. Jennifer Tucker as our new school nurse. Jennifer comes to us with a wealth of
nursing experience and will start tomorrow, 1/3. District Nurse Coordinator, Ann Body,
has been assisting with transitioning Jennifer into our school. In addition, Nurse Clinic Aide,
Shelly Lee, will continue to provide support in the clinic.  We are confident that we will be
able to continue to provide excellent care for our students and staff. Should you
have any questions/concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

8TH GRADE PARTY FUNDRAISER

There will be a fundraiser after each ski club to help raise money for the 8th grade party. Students (and parents!) may purchase slices of pizza and water for $4 when the buses arrive to LMS.



REGISTRATION NIGHT

Registration Night for Incoming 6th, 7th, and 8th grade families for the 2019-20 school year is scheduled
for Wednesday, January 30. PLEASE NOTE: This is a change from the original date
January 23. We are still finalizing a few details on how the evening will look and will be sharing
more information soon.  Be on the lookout.

LMSPA INFO 

LMSPA NEWSLETTER: Please click here for the most recent LMSPA NEWS
PARENTS LUNCH AND LEARN SERIES- Sponsored by the LMSPA- MOVED TO JAN 17th DUE TO
SNOW DAY

Lunch and Learn is an opportunity for parents/guardians to bring their own nut-free lunch to eat while
listening to a presentation that hopefully offers beneficial information. The LMSPA invites all parents and
guardians to attend. Let’s work together to help our children develop those organizational skills we all
strive to achieve.

JENNY HOFFMAN-Recognizing Anxiety and Helping Your Child Cope-1/17 (noon) LMS Library

This presentation will help you identify common signs and symptoms of anxiety in your child and learn
ways to help your child cope with this anxiety. In this lunch and learn presentation designed for ADULTS
ONLY, practical strategies and mindfulness exercises will be presented. Additionally, resources within
the school district and community will be explored. Jenny Hoffman is a therapist in private practice and
a Professor at Washington University and Maryville University.Questions: 

LMSPA BUZZ BOOK
This year, the Ladue Middle School Parent Association is providing a password-protected PDF of the Buzz Book to all LMS families. There will be a limited number of hard copies printed and available in the front office of LMS after Thanksgiving break.  Download the Buzz Book by clicking HERE and using the password: LMS1819BUZZbook

*Note on removing password protection: if you download the Buzz Book and select PRINT, but instead
of printing you choose the option to SAVE AS PDF, then you can download it without a password and
it will be saved on your computer that way—so that you don’t have to enter the password every time
you open it. Questions? Email Jocelyn and tinkerfun@gmail.com.

ARE YOU GETTING OUR EMAIL BLASTS AND NEWSLETTERS?
If not, visit our website: www.mylmspa.com. Under COMMUNICATION you will find the Register for 
Eblast Newsletter tab. Enter your information in order to receive important information and timely
reminders throughout the year. You don’t need to do this if you already receive eblasts.

LMSPA MEETINGS
The LMSPA will have both day and evening meetings to accommodate varying schedules --
all are encouraged to attend! Meetings will be held on the following dates at LMS (room TBD):
         
           Tues. 1/8, 12-1:30 pm
           Wed. 2/6, 6:30-8 pm
           Tues. 3/5, 12-1:30 pm
           Wed. 4/3, 6:30-8 pm
           Tues. 5/7 (closed meeting for Exec Board only) 12-2 pm

You can subscribe to email blasts from the Ladue Middle School Parent Association at
http://www.mylmspa.com/eblast-newsletter/  

The LMSPA can also be followed on Facebook at
 www.facebook.com/LadueMiddleSchoolParentAssociation/ and on Twitter @mylmspa

The LMSPA Executive Board:

Co-Presidents: Marissa Rosen, Jocelyn Fundoukos
Treasurers: Aletta Martin, Laura Whalen
Secretary: Reann Ratterman
PDC Reps: Jill Settler, Becky Marbarger
6th Grade VPs- Lorie Keller, Catherine Hamlin
7th Grade VPs- Becca Dauska,Melissa Garza
8th Grade VPs- Stephanie Walker, Trish Saleeby
Fundraising VP- Julie Stappenbeck, Co-chair Denise Christen
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion VP- Lolita Flinn
Electronic Communications-  Audra Harrold
Website Coordinator- Jodi Blucher, Co-chair Lisa Hirshberg 

DISTRICT INFO  

BOARD BRIEFS


Information regarding Ladue Board of Education meetings and work sessions can be found at http://boardbriefs.blogspot.com


CALENDAR (Items in red are new)

1/3 -Students Report Back to School

1/4 -LMS Ski Trip #1

1/7-1/11 NWEA Testing (ELA)

1/8 -LMSPA Mtg (noon)

1/8 -Math Competition (Library)
1/9 -Spanish Field Trip
1/10 -Class Meeting
1/11-Diversity Student Leaders Training
1/11-LMS Ski Trip #2
1/11-8th Grade Choir Field Trip
1/12-Dad's Club Trivia Night (6:00 p.m.)
1/14-1/18 NWEA Testing (Math)
1/16-8th Parents to Lunch
1/17-LMSPA Lunch & Learn (11:30 LMS Library)
1/17- Geography Bee (LMS Cafe)
1/18- ER Day 12:40 Dismissal
1/21-MLK Day (No School)
1/22-1/25- NWEA Testing (Sci)
1/22-Spelling Bee (3:15pm)
1/22-Ladue Parent Advisory Council Mtg (7 p.m.)
1/24-7th Parents to Lunch
1/24-NJHS Field Trip
1/25-6th Parents to Lunch
1/25- Chili Supper LHWHS
1/30- LMS Registration Night (moved from 1/23)
1/30- M&M Club Field Trip (after school)
2/1- LMS Ski Trip# 3
3/11-Diversity Student Leaders Training (Periods 2 and 3)

==========================================================================

REPEATED INFORMATION- (The information below is a

review of information already communicated. No need to read if you read my last update or received my last Parent Link Update)




8th GRADE TRANSITION

With second semester quickly approaching, the Ladue High School transition is beginning! Here are a
fewimportant dates and events.



High School Tours and Counselor Visits

All 8th graders will take a field trip to the high school in order to hear a counselor presentation about
freshman course offerings. They will also take student-led tours around the high school and visit each
department, where they will hear more specific information about courses that are offered for
freshman. Students will receive the high school curriculum handbook and registration forms at this
time. The field trip will be taken by team. The Trailblazer team will go on Monday, January 7; the Pioneer
team on Tuesday, January 8; and the Patriot team on Thursday, January 10. Permission slips
were handed out this week, and are due back on Friday, December 21. Copies of the permission slip
for each team are also attached in case you have not yet seen it. This field trip is free.

High School Curriculum Fair-January 10, 6pm at the High School Performing Arts Center
This is an event where parents can learn more about freshman course offerings. Departments will
also be available to discuss course offerings with parents and students, if desired. Students will get
this information on their high school tours, including visiting departments.

Individual Counselor Visits
The high school counselors will meet individually with students on January 29, 30 and 31. During this time, they will review the completed registration forms and enter their choices into the computer so their schedule may be built in the spring. Students who have IEPs will be accompanied by their case managers during this appointment, and their parents will be invited to a transition meeting later in the spring to ensure they are enrolled in classes that will meet their needs at the high school.
If you have any questions, feel free to email Roger Scherck (rscherck@ladueschools.net)
or Sarah Schwartz (saschwartz@ladueschools.net).


NO STRAWS- FROM CHARTWELLS FOOD SERVICE
Here at LMS we want our students to act locally while thinking globally. We empower our students to
make changes that will affect more than just themselves. With that being said we are making a small
change in the cafeteria that will hopefully make a big impact! Starting in January 2019 we will no
longer offer straws. We want the students to understand how not using straws impacts the world
around them and will be sharing a few videos with them at school to aid in that understanding.
Please plan accordingly and remind your student of this change. Thanks for all you do for not only
LMS, but also the world!

GRADE LEVEL HAPPENINGS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

HEADPHONES
Headphones were placed on our school supply list for this year. Many students have reported
to their teachers that they have lost or broken their headphones. For your convenience, students
may purchase a new set of headphones from the AP office for $3.


YEARBOOKS

Yearbooks can be ordered online at www.yearbookordercenter.com or by phone 866-287-3096 with
your credit card or check. The price is currently $28, but the price will go up from $28 to $35 on
January 2, 2019.  The deadline for ordering personalized items like metal name plates is
January 15, 2019.Order now for the best price!




TYME MACHINE CODEFEST 2019

TymeMachine is excited to host the first Community Coding Competition for students between the ages
of 8 and 18, sponsored by the Ladue Education Foundation & Alumni Association.



Codefest 2019 will take place March 30, 2019 from 9 a.m. to noon at a location TBD.

TymeMachine is a non-profit organization that brings the latest technology to our children and involves
them with hands-on interdisciplinary STEM learning opportunities to grow their interest in careers that
will be in high demand in the future. We are hoping to instill in students the love for technology by
helping them grow comfortable with coding, while also contributing to our community. Students will
create projects based on the St. Louis Community under three different categories: Games,
Digital Story and Art & Animation. There are two entry levels – Junior (8 to 12 years) and
Senior (13 to 18 years). Students will use either Scratch or Python to create the project at home
and participate in an on-the-spot coding challenge.

Learn more and register at  https://www.tymemachine.org/competition.  The deadline for registration
is January 31, 2019.

Questions? Contact Suparba Panda 314-677-8816.

STUDENT AMBASSADORS CLUB
I'm excited to announce our new after-school club, Student Ambassadors, created to
engage  students in projects that help meet the needs of our LMS School Community.
Any student interested in completing service-oriented projects can participate. The club
will meet as needed over the school year. Students can attend one time or every time.

We will kick-off the program this Thursday, December 13th after school from 3:20-4:20pm.  
Students will make holiday appreciation cards for our staff to accompany the gift cards
purchased through the Funds for Excellence fundraiser.  After-school buses will be available
for students.

For additional information, please contact Trish Saleeby, LMSPA member,
at saleebyp@hotmail.com or Jessica Jestes, LMS Teaching Assistant
at jjestes@ladueschools.net.

TRANSPORTATION  

Late Service
Late buses are provided on Tuesday and Thursday, with buses leaving LMS between 4:30– 4:40 p.m.
Five buses provide transportation for the entire district. Students may be assigned to a different bus that
what they ride at 3:10.


A bus pass (click on the underlined link above) is required at those times when students must ride a
bus not covering their usual route. In order for your request to be considered, this form must be
completed and returned to Danna Anderson in the Welcome Center 24 hours prior to the requested
change. Bus passes may not be available on all routes if there is concern about having available space.
PLEASE NOTE: Bus passes will no longer be allowed on the following buses due to capacity
concerns: LMS 1, LMS 2, LMS 3, LMS 5, LMS 9 and LMS 12.

EARLY PICK UPS/DISMISSALS
Parents/Guardians, we understand that there will be circumstances when you will have to pick your child up early from school.  We urge you to please call ahead or email our attendance secretary, Danna Anderson, so that she can get a note to your child ahead of time.  This process helps you by having your child in the office waiting for your arrival and this procedure also helps us avoid continuously calling into classrooms and disrupting teachers while they are instructing our students. Limiting early dismissals at the end of the day after 2:45 p.m. is extremely important. Our teachers and students are learning in our classrooms until the bell rings at 3:10. The constant early dismissals occurring at the end of the day has been very disruptive. Unless it is an emergency, please help us by following the normal dismissal procedures of carpool for bus riders at the end of the day.  We appreciate your efforts in helping us make learning a top priority here at LMS. Our attendance secretary is Danna Anderson. Her contact information is below: danderson@ladueschools.net or 314-993-3900.

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES-  After School Activities have begun. Activities run from 3:20-4:20 p.m. Transportation is provided for district residents via late bus. Students may attend most activities on a drop in basis. The choice is theirs. Please consider having your student participate. Click on the 2018-2019 After School Activities Link  for more information. In addition to the link on our school website, the list will be posted in the lobby.  

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITY PICK UP
For safety reasons, if picking up your student from an after school activity prior to the 4:20 bell, please stop by the Welcome Center so that he/she can be checked out of the building. Once you notify the office that you are here to pick up your student, the Activity Coordinator will have the student sent down ASAP. We appreciate your assistance with this as it helps us tremendously with attendance monitoring and reporting.

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITY CARPOOL
PLEASE NOTE: We are asking parents who pick up students from after school activities to please pull into a parking spot or pull over to the outer curb until your student comes outside at dismissal. This allows the curb nearest the school to remain open for bus arrival. We have to get five (5) late buses into our parking lot and parked. Buses will be unable to pull into the circle drive to park because cars are stopped in the middle of the lot or parked right in front of the school. We thank you in advance for your assistance.


BUILDING EXPECTATIONS REMINDERS

Please take a minute to review the building expectations and procedures that are listed below. It is my
hope that by sharing expectations in my update, families will become aware and can work in partnership
with us to establish an optimal learning environment and ensure the safety and well being of students
while at school. These expectations are also in our LMS Student Handbook, which will be sent home
with ALL students the first week of school and is posted on our school website.I STRONGLY encourage
families to read the handbook. We will cover key items at school, but the follow up should occur at
home. This way both students AND parents/guardians have a solid understanding. Here is a
link: LMS Student Handbook 2018-2019

AFTERNOON DISMISSAL PROCEDURES FOR STUDENTS
Did you know that there is a method to the madness for how we dismiss students at the end of the day? Please take a minute to click here: Afternoon Dismissal Procedures and review whatwe will be sharing with students. It is extremely important that all students follow these procedures. 
Doing so allows us to get everyone (bus riders, carpool, and walkers) home safely and in a timely 
manner. Parents, please DO NOT circumvent these expectations. It creates major safety issues and puts students in a situation where they are not complying with school expectations. Should you have a special circumstance, please contact your child's grade level principal so an accommodation can be made. 

BREAKFAST PROCEDURES
We are fortunate to serve breakfast in the mornings for LMS students. Students wanting to purchase
breakfast should report to the cafeteria immediately upon arrival to school (do not go to lockers or class
first). If arriving before 8:02, regular breakfast will be provided. Students arriving after 8:02, will be
served “grab and go” items. Breakfast is not considered “social time.” Students participating in the
breakfast program are expected to eat as quickly as possible and head to class.    

ELECTRONICS AT SCHOOL 
Please remind your student that electronics, including cell phones, headphones/earbuds, speakers, 
etc. should remain out of sight for the duration of the school day from 8:10-3:10. This includes lunch.
If these items are seen, they will be confiscated as noted in our LMS Student Handbook. 

Technology devices are not allowed in restrooms or locker rooms. Students should not use the
Internet or other digital communication devices to create disrespectful or harassing messages,
take pictures or videos or make recordings of others without permission, or send or post materials
that threaten or raise concerns about violence against others. All of these activities will be considered
a violation of our school district's code of conduct which can be found on pages 30-33 of our
Student Handbook, which will be sent home with each student the first week of school.

We strongly encourage families not to send personal technology devices to school unless requested
by the classroom teacher for educational purposes. These requests will be minimal now that students
have Chromebooks. It is our recommendation that technology devices technology devices brought to
school are stored in a locked locker during school hours. Note: If there is an urgent message that your
child needs to have, please contact the office and we will get the message delivered as soon as
possible.  Thank you for your help with this matter.

MORNING DROP OFF/AFTERNOON PICK UP

For safety reasons, students should not be dropped off prior to 7:30 a.m. We do not have any adult supervision prior to 7:30 and our building is locked. Students who arrive prior to this time will have to remain outside. Parents/guardians of students consistently on campus in the mornings without supervision will be contacted by administration.

At the end of the school day (3:10), students should either ride the bus home, walk, get picked up, or
participate in the TAS (Teens After School) Program. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, after school
supervision is unavailable after 3:30 unless special arrangements have been made with a staff member
to supervise in their classroom. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, after school activities are provided from
3:10-4:10.  Students who stay after for activities should be picked up at 4:10, no later than 4:30. As in
the morning, parents/guardians of students consistently on campus in the afternoons without
supervision will be contacted by administration and may also be taken to TAS and charged a fee.

PLEASE MAKE NOTE OF THIS as we want to avoid students having to sit outside in extreme
hot and cold weather conditions. 

More specific information about traffic patterns for dropping off and picking up has been provided in earlier updates and below. Please take time to review these procedures as well, which are noted in the REPEATED INFORMATION section of this update, especially if you are dropping off on Monday. MAPS are also provided for those who need a visual. Parents, please DO NOT circumvent these expectations. It creates major safety issues and puts students in a situation where they are not complying with school expectations. Should you have a special circumstance, please contact your child's grade level principal so that an accommodation can be made.

TRAFFIC REMINDERS (Returning families: Please note afternoon dismissal change)
The following is a reminder to some, and new information for others, regarding our morning and afternoon traffic patterns and drop off/pick up procedures.

Our school day for 2018-2019 will be 8:10 am to 3:10 pm.  

If you plan to transport your child to school by car in the morning:
  • Please be aware that students cannot enter our building until 7:30 am when someone on duty to monitor the front doors and lobby.
  • Students may be dropped off at the front of the building prior to bus arrival (they typically begin appearing around 7:45 am).  Please follow the designated traffic flow arrows as you enter our campus from either Conway or Clayton roads.  
  • There will be staff members at locations 1, 2 and 3 to help with traffic flow and supervision.  Please follow their directions.  
  • After buses begin arriving, car traffic will be routed to the rear of the building.  The person at location 2 will notify drivers.
  • Please proceed down the right-hand drive all the way to the Maintenance Building (end of fencing), then circle back to the rear of the building through the parking lot, staying to the right.  Students will be dropped off at the designed area (ONLY along the sidewalk) and enter the building through the east back door to the Gym.
  • Cars will then exit the campus using the lower drive (two-way traffic) onto Clayton Road.  Please, please, (and please) turn right onto Clayton Road.  A left-hand turn onto Clayton, at this time of morning, is potentially dangerous and causes a backup for cars attempting to exit our campus.  

If you plan to pick up your child from school by car in the afternoon:
  • Please be aware that buses begin lining up in our front Circle Drive around 2:45 pm.  Cars parked in the Circle Drive have the very good chance of getting blocked in as more buses arrive.  If you have the need to pick up your child before dismissal, I would highly suggest parking in one of the marked parking spaces in the lower drive.
  • Cars will be directed to the back of our building to form a “carpool line” as indicated in the second photo.  Please drive all the way down the right drive to the Maintenance Building.  If there are students on the parking lot (fenced in area), please wait at the gated entrance until students leave.  Then, pull into the lot on the LEFT side and begin a line at the recycling bins (along the fence INSIDE the parking lot).  When the line reaches the gate at the back, begin a new line just to the right of the existing line.  This should keep the lower drive from backing up and blocking cars wanting to leave. A staff person will be located at area A to assist with this.
  • At dismissal, students who rides buses will be dismissed first at 3:20, while students who are picked up by car and those that walk will be held in the classroom (until about 3:20 pm).
  • Please do not instruct your child to leave the lobby with bus riders and walk through our lots to meet you at your car.  This is potentially dangerous as students do not always watch for traffic. It also puts the child in an awkward position as he/she is not following school rules and can be assigned a consequence for not doing so.  If you need to pick your child up before buses leave, please notify your student’s grade level administrator and meet your child at the front of the building so that he/she is accompanied while walking through our parking lot.  Students are NOT to exit through the doors near the Gym or in the 6th and 8th grade halls.
  • Buses are typically loaded within 10 minutes of the 3:10 pm dismissal.  Once buses are released, then the staff member at location A will signal cars to approach the front of the building.  Students waiting in the classroom will then be released to be picked up by car.  Most students are gone by 3:30 pm.

If your student will ride a bus to and from school:
  • Please make sure your student knows his/her assigned bus number.
  • Bus riders will have a maximum of 10 minutes after the 3:10 pm dismissal to gather their belongings and exit the front of the building.
  • Students must check the “bus board” located near the Circle Drive at the end of the sidewalk leading from the Main Lobby doors to determine the location of their assigned bus.
  • Students should board the bus quickly, rather than loiter in the front of the building.

Bus passes:
A temporary bus pass may be used for a student to ride home on a different bus.  Passes are available on the district website and in the Welcome Center and must be completed and approved BEFORE the date of use.  Drivers should be given a copy of the completed and approved bus pass as the student boards the bus.

Thanks for your patience with all of this.  It is much easier to verbalize than to communicate in writing.  Everyone typically gets the hang of this within the first fews days of school.  Our goal is to get students delivered and picked up safely, while also trying to keep traffic flow moving.

STUDENTS/PARENTS CUTTING THROUGH PICARDY LANE
When school is in session a number of cars are tempted to cut through Picardy Lane (northeast corner of Conway/Warson) causing traffic to back up at this intersection. We are asking families for assistance as a courtesy to the residents in this neighborhood. Please do not use Picardy Lane as a cut through to get to the school in the mornings. We have been advised that there will be police presence in that neighborhood to deter those who use it as a means of avoiding the intersection at Warson and Conway Roads.  

SPECIAL TREATS FROM CHARTWELLS
Our building policy does not allow consumption of food by others for safety reasons and to promote healthy living. Chartwells Food Service is offering treats for purchase to families that want to do something special for a birthday or other milestone.  We appreciate Chartwells for providing alternative options to families that want to have celebrations at school during lunch shifts. 



That’s all for now. Take Care! 
Dr. T-J
Principal, Ladue Middle School

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