TJs Tidbits




Greetings LMS Families,





Last week was focused in many ways on Character Education. On Monday, Dr. Jahnke joined us after school during our Faculty Meeting and surprised us with cake to celebrate our State School of Character Recognition. We had our State School of Character Banner presented to us by Character Plus representative, Nicole Diehl, on Tuesday in a lovely ceremony that included district and LMS admin, counselors, Character Ed Committee reps, student leaders and members of the LMSPA. At the end of of the ceremony, student volunteers shared what Character Ed. means to them and what they love most about LMS. They wowed us all with their comments and spoke so eloquently sharing strengths and growth areas. One student summed it up perfectly, saying something along the lines of "We are not perfect, as there is no way we could be, but we certainly work hard and continue to get better and better each day…” Our National School of Character Site Visit was on Friday. The guest spent a little over three hours in our school touring, observing and talking with student leaders, teachers, LMSPA Rep Ms. Julie Stappenback and our school board liaison, Ms. Kisha Lee. She also reviewed a variety of artifacts. She was very complimentary of our students, staff, and school community. She couldn’t speak highly enough about her tour guides Graham LaBonte and Mate Daus. They did an outstanding job walking her around and highlighting our school! Thank you to all who were involved in the day. Special thanks to Ms. Janey Worthington who chairs our Character Ed Committee. She has done an excellent job leading this initiative and preparing us for each visit.



We are finishing up the quarter and heading into Spring Break. Conferences are this week. Just a reminder to bring your student with you. Every year, we have a couple of families forget to stop by the house to get their kiddos (smile). Portfolio Conferences are my favorite because it’s an opportunity for students to take the lead in facilitating dialogue about school performance. They get to showcase their strengths and discuss growth areas with their families. I am always amazed by the level of maturity that the students demonstrate when reviewing their work. They are quite reflective and proud of what they have accomplished. Spring conferences are definitely more relaxed and not “speed dating” like in the fall. We hope to see you soon!


Thursday, 3/14 is another of my favorite LMS Events. It’s “I am LMS” Day, which is a day set aside to celebrate the uniqueness that we each bring to the table. We encourage students and staff to dress in ways that represent who they are as individuals. Students should wear clothing that symbolizes their culture, religion, ethnicity, talent, interests, etc. Please remember all clothing has to be school appropriate and in alignment with our dress code. It will be a very exciting day, so please join in the fun!


Although it’s the week before break, school is still in session and expectations are still very much in place. Please again remind your student how important it is that he/she comes to school ready to engage in learning and displaying safe behavior.  

I hope everyone enjoys this much needed week off from school. Be sure to relax and have lots of fun. I certainly plan to do the same.

Be blessed!  



STUDENT RECOGNITION

LMS SCIENCE BOWL

It was an exciting Ladue finals yesterday as our LMS Science Bowl teams A and B took first and second place at the state competition at Wash U. Congratulations to both teams! Team A’s first place victory has landed them an all expense paid trip to Nationals in Washington DC. Team members include: Aditya Jain, Rohan Suri, Allen You, Nicole Li, Abheek Dhawan, Bryson Liang, Edward Zhang, Raymond Hu, Kevin Tang, Timothy Zhang, Robert Mabbs, Arti Jain,

Sara Rohatgi, Sanjana Gandhi, and Sylvia Hanes



CHESS COMPETITION

GOOD LUCK to all of our Ladue Middle School students who will be competing in the 2019 National High School (K-12th grade) Chess Championship in Schaumburg, IL from 3/15-3/17. Over 1,500 students from around the United States will be competing in this year’s chess nationals. Bring home the victory!

NEW INFO
OPERATION FOOD SEARCH/FILL THE  BARREL FUNDRAISER 3/4-3/14

One in every six individuals lives in poverty and struggles with hunger in the greater St. Louis region, including 172,000 children. For them, the thought of obtaining their next meal isn’t comforting. It's stressful. Each spring, the Ladue School District partners with Operation Food Search to help address this issue. Our district’s goal is to fill up 55 large barrels with cans of food, which is the equivalent of 9,625 pounds of food. Ladue Middle School's goal is to fill eight barrels! The food drive is from March 4-14.  We'll be collecting cans in the front lobby before school. Please also plan to bring cans during Parent/Teacher conferences on March 13 or 14. LMS Character Council groups are sponsoring the event.



ATHLETIC INFO FOR 8th GRADE FAMILIES (HS and MS)

Below are a few upcoming opportunities involving middle and high school athletics:



Laduettes

Tuesday, 3/12 is an informational meeting for 8th graders who are interested in trying out for the Laduettes (high school dance squad). The meeting is during lunch in room 135 (Mr. Clay's room).


Eighth Grade Sports
8th grade sports are beginning soon! The first practice for Track and Field is Tuesday, March 12 after school. The first practice for Field Hockey is Tuesday, March 26 after school. Students must have their paperwork and physicals turned in by the first practice in order to participate. They also must meet the eligibility requirements for academics, citizenship and behavior, which are all outlined in the above mentioned paperwork.

HS Sports Opportunities
On Friday, March 29, the high school coaches for all fall sports will be coming to LMS for an open house during lunch. During this time, students can meet the coaches, find out information about summer opportunities, information about tryouts and practices, and may sign up.
Fall sports:
Boys swimming, football, cross country, and soccer
Girls golf, cross country, volleyball, tennis, field hockey, and softball

The Laduettes dance squad and the cheerleading squad will have separate informational meetings and tryouts.

The high school coaches for winter and spring sports will also be coming to an open house in April. The date is still to be decided.


LMSPA INFO


Click on the link for the most recent: LMSPA Newsletter

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 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):

           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)
3/11-Diversity Student Leaders Training (Periods 2 and 3)

3/13 Field Trip: 7th & 8th Grade Orchestra
3/13- PT Conferences
3/14- I am LMS Day
3/14- ER Day 12:40 Dismissal

3/14- PT Conferences
3/15- Conference Compensation Day, NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
3/18-3/22- SPRING BREAK

3/25- School Resumes
3/26- Patriot Field Trip

3/27-Trailblazer Field Trip

3/28-Pioneer Field Trip

3/28- Class Meetings
==========================================================================

REPEATED INFORMATION- (The information below is a review of information already communicated. No need to read if you read my last update)


I AM LMS DAY- 3/14

Our annual “I am LMS” Day will be held on Thursday, March 14 during normal class time

(ER schedule). This is a day devoted to celebrating unique differences at Ladue Middle School.  The theme this year is “We Are All Threads In The LMS Tapestry.” "I am LMS” Day is a yearly event that promotes diversity and inclusion, and fosters a caring community in our school. Students will be in class meeting groups for the entire day and will be engaged in the following activities: guest speaker, student variety show, art project based on a Maya Angelou quote, student-and teacher-led diversity circles, and Mix It Up At Lunch activities run by Student Diversity Leaders.


Below is Maya Angelou's quote:



“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”


SPRING PORTFOLIO CONFERENCES

Spring Conferences are 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. Scheduling is online at  http://www.myconferencetime.com/laduems.  Please read and follow the instructions on the website and sign up ASAP as appointments fill up fast. We look forward to seeing you soon!

I am sharing the following reminders about afternoon dismissal and pick up in this section as we are concerned that over time families may have forgotten.

PLEASE read and follow these procedures when picking up students after school and from after school activities. When families step outside of these guidelines it puts the safety and well being of our students and staff in jeopardy. We have had several near accidents in our parking lot. We also have students sneaking out of the building to meet parents when the procedure is to remain in classes until they are dismissed to carpool. This is against school rules. Thank you in advance for your assistance. Should you have any questions, please contact us.


ESOL PICNIC

The Ladue School District ESL Spring Picnic is scheduled for Saturday, April 6th from noon-2:00 p.m. at Spoede Elementary.  This annual event offers a great opportunity to connect with families from all of our district schools. A flyer was attached to the Parent Link email.

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. 



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.



ESOL PICNIC

The Ladue School District ESL Spring Picnic is scheduled for Saturday, April 6th from noon-2:00 p.m. at Spoede Elementary.  This annual event offers a great opportunity to connect with families from all of our district schools. A flyer was attached to the Parent Link email.



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- 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!

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, at saschwartz@ladueschools.net

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!


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.


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.

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 than
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.


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 linkLMS Student Handbook 2018-2019

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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