April 29, 2016

TJs Tidbits

Greetings LMS Families,

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. It was a cold one for sure (brrrr). There's quite a bit of info to share, so I will not say much other than to have a blessed week!

STUDENT RECOGNITION

FLL

Congratulations to the Seven LaunChers, a FLL community team of LMS and a few other students. They participated in the State FLL Championship and won the Inspiration Award for core values. They also won the second place Champions Award and have been invited to attend the Razorback Invitational at the University of Arkansas where they will match up against 72 teams from all over the world. We are so proud of their hard work and accomplishments. A picture of the team from the tournament was shared in the Parent Link Email. Students pictured are: Rohan Suri, Abheek Dhawan, Alison Nieder, Claudia Kramer, Aric Wang, Zachary Barrett, and Arti Jain.

MATH COUNTS

Ten students from our LMS Math Counts team competed on Saturday and did a fantastic job! Kevin Tang finished first in the individual countdown round and Yuvan Chali finished third. We had five students finish in the top 15 and will go on to state in March. Those students are: Nicole Li-2nd, Kevin Tang-7th, Aditya Jain-5th, Edward Zhang-8th, and Yuvan Chali-11th. LMS won the team competition with an impressive group of four students: Nicole, Kevin, Aditya and Yuvan. Aric Wang, Olivia Hu, Rohan Suri, Matthew Huang, and Richie Jiang competed and did great as well.

2019 GATEWAY CHESS LEAGUE ACTION TOURNAMENT

Seven Ladue Middle School chess players: Sam Loiterstein (8), Andrew Stappenbeck (8), Zach Barrett (7), Jacob Begis (6), Sahil Chatwal (6), Rock Erekson (6), and Franklyn Yang (6) competed in the 2019 Gateway Chess League Action Tournament held on Saturday, February 9 at Saint Louis University.  Our LMS team won first place in the 8th Grade & Under Division.

In the individual standings:

- Andrew won the 8th grade division and Sam placed 4th.

- Zach won the 7th grade division.

- Franklyn finished in 2nd place in the 6th grade division, Sahil placed 3rd, Jacob 5th, and Rock 8th.

Congratulations to all!

SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING

The St. Louis Synergy Synchronized Skating Juvenile Team qualified for the U. S. Synchronized Skating Championships to be held later this month in Plymouth, MI. Two 7th grade LMS students, Claire Malone and Sophie Miller are on the team- this is quite an accomplishment!

NEW INFO

LMS TEACHER OF THE YEAR- MS. EVY BICKEL

Congratulations to Ms. Evy Bickel (6th Math) for being named our LMS Teacher of the Year! Evy is so deserving. She is truly a phenomenal educator who gives her all to her students and our school community. We are super proud to have Evy represent us at the district level!

CHANGE WARS UPDATE

THANK YOU to all of the eighth grade families who brought in change for Change Wars, our 8th grade party fundraiser! The final amounts raised by teams was:

Patriot = $558.33

Pioneer = $857.20

Trailblazer = $256.74

The grand total raised was $1672.27! The Pioneer team will be getting their reward later this week.

EIGHTH GRADE SPORTS SPECTATORS

The 8th grade basketball teams have home games almost every week. Students who want to stay to cheer the teams on MUST be in a supervised activity between 3:20-4:20. There is no supervision in the gym except for students on the team. Student spectators also must have a ride home from the games, as the late buses leave around 4:30. Students who ride the bus may not enter the gym due to issues hearing their buses being announced. All students riding the bus must wait in the lobby. Thank you for going over these expectations with your student if he/she plans on attending a game.

CHILDREN'S NOTABLE BOOK LIST

Congrats to Melody F. (LMS Librarian) who helped determine books that are on the Children's Notable Book List. This involved reading hundreds of books over the course of the year. Check out the list: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncb.

NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY (NJHS)

Applications for the LMS chapter of the National Junior Honor Society will be mailed to qualifying seventh and eighth graders this week, and the application are due by Friday, February 22rd.  If you have any questions regarding qualifications, please refer to our NJHS website: https://lms.ladueschools.net/activities/national-junior-honor-society/.

AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION CHALLENGE

The LMS PE Department is hosting the American Heart Challenge on Feb. 13th and 14th during all PE classes.  We are excited to try to reach our goal this year of $8000. Your donations help to save lives! Almost all the donations stay in our area for research, medicines and education of our # 1 & # 5 cause of death; heart disease & stroke. Our school also earns PE equipment to help keep us active & healthy.   Thank you in advance for your help and support. Please see the attached flyer for more info.

EIGHTH GRADE IMMUNIZATIONS NEEDED

Students who will be entering 8th grade are now required to have both Meningitis and Tdap immunizations to meet the requirement of the Missouri School Immunization Law, Health and Safety Title 19 CSR 20-28.010 for the 2019-2020 academic year. It is mandatory for your child to have proof of these vaccinations prior to the first day of school. Many students received these vaccines during 6th grade. Majority of the time parents get this notification simply because we don't have record of these shots on file. Please check with your physician to see if your student has had these immunizations. If so, simply have the doctor's office fax a copy to (314)-983-5965. If your child still needs to have these vaccines, now is great time to get an appointment!

LMS may withhold your student’s schedule and team assignment for the school year until proof of immunizations are presented to the School Nurse. When immunizations are given please have physician’s office print out a current immunization record and turn it into the nurses’ office. Should you have any questions, please contact Nurse Jenn Tucker, at 314-983-5530 or email jtucker@ladueschools.net

LMSPA PET PHOTO FUNDRAISER

 On Saturday, April, 6th, LMS Parent Brook Palanca will work with a pet trainer on set at her air-conditioned studio in Ladue, to get your dog to do their best tricks & licks for the camera. There will be a groomer on site in case your pet needs a little fluffing before their big shoot. Images will be artistically and creatively edited...worthy of hanging on your wall! The high resolution digital files will be delivered to you in an online gallery where they will be available for purchase. The Full session fee of $50 will be donated to LMS. Ask Brook about adding your kids to the shoot for an additional fee. Only 20 spots available. Brook will contact you to schedule your session time once you have signed up. Go to www.myschoolbucks.com to sign up! Just pull down the menu at the top to select Parent Association—Ladue Middle School!

LMSPA TEENS, DIVERSITY, & SOCIAL MEDIA EVENT 2/20

The LMSPA Presents: TEENS, DIVERSITY & SOCIAL MEDIA- Teaching Students to think Globally

Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019 7 PM - 8 PM in the LMS Library. There will be a speaker and panel discussion for parents Featuring Dr. Jameca Woody Falconer, Psychologist and LMS Parent Parents, please join us for an engaging discussion about how to help our children navigate the shifting social media landscape with a focus on inclusiveness. This is a free event. Childcare will be available on site (Ages 2 and older) 

LMSPA LUNCH & LEARN 3/8 Bullying 101: Training Trusted Adults
How can we help our teenagers deal with the emotional impact of Bullying? Learn the types of bullying: physical, mental, verbal, and cyber? What is the impact on the bully and the person being bullied? Please join us on March 8, 2019 at noon when a representative from CHADS Coalition for Mental Health will come speak to us as we explore the causes of an individual becoming a bully, as well as the life-long effects bullying can have on the target. We will explore solutions that work to end the mistreatment of others. Remember that you are welcome to bring a nut-free lunch to enjoy while we listen to our presenter. If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Walker at stephaniechipwalker@yahoo.com.

2019 INNOVATION CELEBRATION: SPORTS EDITION

The Ladue Education Foundation & Alumni Association (LEF) invites alumni, parents and the community to celebrate and support innovation in Ladue schools. This year, we highlight sports and physical education at our annual spring gala, themed “Innovation Celebration: Sports Edition.”

Friday, April 12, 2019, 6:30-11 p.m.

Jewish Community Center Sports Arena

2 Millstone Campus Dr., Creve Coeur, MO 63146

FEATURING

·        Cocktails and Dinner

·        Games and Entertainment, featuring the LHWHS Pep Band and the Laduettes

·        Nutritious Smoothie Tasting with the LHWHS Catering Club

·        Pop-up Shop with State Championship Football and Just ’Due It Gear.

·        Silent Auction

·        Live Auction, Assisted by Ladue Schools Athletes

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Ben Newman, Ladue School District alumnus (‘97), a highly regarded Performance Coach, International Speaker and Best-Selling Author, whose clients include Fortune 500 companies and professional athletes in the NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, UFC and NCAA.

Dress Code: Cocktail or Creative Sports Attire (anything from dresses to jerseys!)

Mailed invitations will be sent in March, but you can register now on our website at www.laduefoundation.org. Sponsorship opportunities available!

LMSPA INFO

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.

Please click here for the LMSPA Newsletter

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.

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. 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)

2/13- American Heart Challenge (PE)

2/13-Field Trip: 7th Grade Apogee Riot Games Design

2/13-American Mathematic Competition

2/13-8th Grade Basketball Game (Girls)

2/14-American Heart Challenge (PE)

2/15- FULL Day PD (No School for Students)

2/18-President's Day- (No School for Students)

2/19- LPAC mtg.

2/21- Black History Month Assembly through Class Meetings

2/22-Ski Trip

2/25- All District Choir Festival at Logan University

2/28- Jazz Concert @ LPAC

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)

SPRING PORTFOLIO CONFERENCE SIGN UPS

Believe it or not, the Spring Conference sign ups are right around the corner. We will once again host student-led portfolio conferences in the spring on March 13 (4:00-8:00 p.m.) and March 14 (1:20-7:00 p.m.) Teachers will have a 40-minute dinner break on March 14 at the following times: Elective @ 4:20 p.m. and Core at 5:00 p.m.Students will attend the conference with parents and lead the discussion about their performance. They share their academic progress, report on assessment data, and present samples of their work, which is a critical step toward becoming a responsible, self-governing student. Several conferences will be taking place at one time within the same room. Teachers are available for a brief check in after your child has had a chance to share his/her portfolio, but unlike conferences in the fall, they are not leading the process.  Conversations with teachers should be brief.  Please refer to the back of this sheet for portfolio conference roles and what to expect.

World Language, Apogee, Special School District, Math/Reading Specialists, Off Team ELA/Math (Ms. Scheidt, Ms. Megargel, Ms. Shayer) and elective teachers do not have scheduled times. They sincerely hope that you will visit their classrooms to participate in a portfolio conference as well.

Scheduling for conferences will be online, the website is http://www.myconferencetime.com/laduems  

Please read and follow the instructions on the website and sign up ASAP as appointments fill up fast.  We will open the system on Monday, January 28 at 8:00 a.m.  and will shut it down on Friday, March 8 at 3:30 p.m. We look forward to seeing you soon!

MATH ACCELERATION

A small number of LMS students may be developmentally prepared to accelerate through a grade level math course. Math acceleration is defined as being enrolled in a course that is one or more grade level above. Math 6 Extension and Math 7 Extension are not accelerated courses and require no special testing. Students who want to enroll in math courses on the accelerated pathway must show mastery of skills taught in the course which they would like to skip. The courses that students may attempt to test out of in order to accelerate are Math 6 Extension, Math 7 Extension, and Advanced Algebra. No acceleration testing is available for Advanced Geometry or any other high school course. Acceleration testing dates for Summer 2019 are June 5 and July 31. No other dates are available for testing so please plan accordingly.  More information, as well as directions on how to sign up, is available on the LMS website under the curriculum tab. If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Sarah Schwartz, Assistant Principal and liaison to the math department, atsaschwartz@ladueschools.net

SKI CLUB PIZZA SALES & PRE-SALE INFO- Benefits the 8th grade party!-Pizza will be available for purchase after each ski trip until pizza runs out! $4.00 for 2 pieces of pizza and a water. If you would like to pre-order, you can pay in advance! Please CLICK HERE for flyer with information and the order form! Remaining Ski Dates: Feb 8, Feb 22, Mar 1 (rescheduled).

GRADE LEVEL HAPPENINGS NEWSLETTERS- Please click on the links for the latest updates for your grade level.

6th Grade

7th Grade

8th Grade

TARDY NOTIFICATIONS

In effort to keep families informed and work in partnership with the school, our Infinite campus system will begin to email notifications about tardies to class for students in the next week or so. You can always check Infinite Campus regularly to see list of tardies and absences for your child.  When students arrive late to class, it disrupts the learning process and they miss out on essential instructions given at the beginning of the lesson. We thank you in advance for assisting us by following up with your student at home. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child's teacher and/or grade level principal.

3RD QUARTER AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

Please check out our after school activity list for this quarter. Activities start again on 1/8. We have several new additions which include: Calligraphy Club, Disney Literature Club, Green Team, History Bee, Middle School Milers, and Table Tennis. Click on this link for more specific information: LMS After School Activities 3rd Quarter.

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.

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.

TECH TOTES

Please help us by reminding your student that the ONLY items that should be placed inside the Tech Totes are technology (Chromebooks) and technology accessories (earbuds). Students should not place any other items (books, writing utensils, clothing, food, etc) inside. Please also remind students that their tech totes should remain at school and should not be taken home. Thanks in advance for your assistance!

PLANNER AND TECH TOTE REPLACEMENTS

Planners- If students need a new planner (lost, damaged, etc.), they should see their school counselor in the Welcome Center  to get a new one. Tech Totes- If students need a new tech tote (lost, damaged, etc.), they may get a replacement from the AP office (see  Ms. LoBosco). Both items are $5 to replace.

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.

Bus Pass

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.

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 what we 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