TJs Tidbits
Greetings LMS Families,
I hope everyone is doing well. We are slowly approaching the end of summer and gearing up for the start of school. New teachers start this week for training and professional development and returning staff will make their way back on 8/5. I sent a few Back to School reminders on 7/11. Hopefully, you've had a chance to look over that information.
I have a few more things to share regarding the start of school. As we get closer, I will continue to touch base and provide updates. If you are completely new to LMS, please thoroughly read the information below. Returning families can also benefit from looking over what's shared as reminders.
We're very excited about the 2019-2020 school year and look forward to seeing our students!
Take Care!
NEW INFORMATION
LMS OFFICE HOURS
We are now on our regular five-day work week schedule. Our office is open 7:30 am to 3:30 pm Monday through Friday.
SCHOOL SUPPLY LISTS
LOCKERS
Students will be decorating and setting up their lockers at Community Night. Please pay close attention to this locker information:
- Lockers assignments are printed at the TOP of student schedules that will be mailed on 8/2. Example: Academic Locker A76
- Students should bring their schedules and a combination lock to Community Night.
- Upon arrival, students should locate their ASSIGNED locker, pull the note card off the locker, and write their locker combination down legibly. Building maps that indicate locker zones will be set up on easels. Paper copies will also be provided. Locker zone signs are in the ceiling to assist with locating lockers as well. In most instances, lockers are near team locations.
Students may only place their things in the locker that is assigned. A spreadsheet has been made in advance with all locker assignments, therefore students should not attempt to place belongings in a different locker or move taped cards to a different locker.
- Students should return the note card with a locker combination written on back to the dropbox at the LMSPA treat station.
If someone has placed a lock on your assigned locker by accident or if you have a question/concern, please notify a staff member and indicate that on your card. We will not be able to address significant concerns at Community Night. Someone will have to follow up with you later.
Students that are unable to attend Community Night, may set up lockers and hand in locker combinations on 8/12 (7:30-9:00 a.m. or 3:30-4:30 p.m.) PLEASE NOTE: Our building will be open, but staff will NOT be available. Those who can't come at either of these times on 8/12 may take care of everything on the first day of school.
SCHOOL PICTURE INFORMATION (PLEASE READ THOROUGHLY)
School pictures will be taken in the LMS Gym on Friday, August 9 during Community Night from 3:30-7:30 p.m. Wagner Portrait Group will be photographing students for portrait packages, the yearbook, and school records. All students are STRONGLY encouraged to take pictures during Community Night. This format prevents interference with instructional time during the school day and allows students to take pics in a more leisurely fashion.
A picture packet will be mailed home with the student schedules on 8/2. Should you prefer to pay online, CLICK HERE TO ORDER NOW: http://bit.ly/2us0kyN Order forms must be turned in to the photographer on picture day! Parents may either fill out the order form OR they may order online at www.WagnerPortraitGroup.com and use the password: LMS
PLEASE NOTE: The school dress code will apply. Please direct all questions, concerns, or special requests directly to Wagner Portrait Group by calling 314-567-5900. They are happy to help!
6TH GRADE ORIENTATION/7TH AND 8TH GRADE “NEW TO LADUE” ORIENTATION
All sixth grade students will be involved in an orientation with their grade level principal, counselor, and team teachers on the first day of school. “New to Ladue” seventh and eighth grade students will also participate in an orientation, scheduled on Monday, August 12 (8:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m.) This orientation is facilitated by the grade level counselors and is only for students that have transferred into Ladue School District.
SCHEDULE CHANGES
We began the scheduling process in the spring. Since that time, work has been invested in making team placements based upon parent and staff input and information. Team compositions are balanced and extensive time has been dedicated to grant top choices for elective course requests as they were received in our office. Please keep in mind that we do this while working within class size requirements.
Student schedules will be mailed on Friday, August 2. Student schedules are finalized and no changes can be made. We are unable to address scenarios as we approach the first day of school such as:
- “I have changed my mind about my elective choice(s).”
- “I want to be with my friend(s) in _________ class or on _________ team.”
In order for us to maximize our efforts and time in preparation for the beginning of school and given the parameters of our new master schedule, it is imperative that we hold firm to “no schedule changes.” We thank you in advance for partnering with us on this decision and understanding the need for this practice.
MATH PACKETS
We have gotten some questions recently about summer math packets. They can be found on the LMS Website under the curriculum tab. The purpose of math packets is to help students not forget concepts over the summer and to help them have a good transition into the next school year. Students will receive ram awards for completing the packet and it will not affect their class grade.
MEET THE TEACHER NIGHT
Parents/Guardians please plan to attend Meet the Teacher Night on August 28 at 6:30 p.m. This will be an opportunity for you to follow your child’s schedule and meet the teachers. A general meeting will be held that evening with information about the LMSPA, Dad’s Club, Ladue Education Foundation, and much more. We hope you can join us. More info will be shared soon!
6TH GRADE CAMP MEETING
Please mark your calendars for August 21 for a parent meeting about Sixth Grade Camp at 7:00 p.m. in the middle school cafeteria. Camp this year will be the week of September 16. Students will either go to camp Monday – Wednesday of that week or Wednesday – Friday. For more information about camp, please visit the camp website at: https://sites.google.com/a/ladueschools.net/biernbaum/6th-grade-camp
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 3:20-4:20. Students who stay after for activities should be picked up at 4:20, 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.
TRAFFIC REMINDERS
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 2019-2020 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.
LMSPA INFO
LMSPA MEETINGS
The Ladue Middle School Parent Ass
Thurs. 9/12, 9-10:30am
Wed. 10/2, 6:30-8 pm
Thurs. 11/14, 9-10:30am
Wed. 12/11, 6:30-8 pm
Thurs. 1/9, 9-10:30am
Wed. 2/5, 6:30-8 pm
Tues. 3/10, 9-10:30am
Wed. 4/1, 6:30-8 pm
Thurs. 5/14 (closed meeting for Exec Board only) 9-11am
Wed. 10/2, 6:30-8 pm
Thurs. 11/14, 9-10:30am
Wed. 12/11, 6:30-8 pm
Thurs. 1/9, 9-10:30am
Wed. 2/5, 6:30-8 pm
Tues. 3/10, 9-10:30am
Wed. 4/1, 6:30-8 pm
Thurs. 5/14 (closed meeting for Exec Board only) 9-11am
You can subscribe to email blasts from the Ladue Middle School Parent Association at http://www.mylmspa.com/
The LMSPA can also be followed on Facebook at
and on Twitter @mylmspa
COMMUNITY NIGHT
The LMSPA invites all students and families to celebrate the beginning of a new school year on Friday, August 9 from 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. This is an opportunity for parents and students together to:
- Get school pictures taken
- Bring your schedule and walk your classes
- Bring a combination lock for your assigned locker and turn in your locker combination to office staff
- Decorate the inside of your locker
- Fill your locker with school supplies
- Remove some of the first day jitters
- Turn in school and LMSPA paperwork
- Buy logo clothing – cash and credit cards accepted
- Visit with all of your friends
- Pick up a special treat from the LMSPA
Siblings are welcome at Community Night. Past large turnouts result in some crowding, so we ask that the following schedule be followed if at all possible: Sixth Grade (4-5 p.m.), Seventh Grade (5-6 p.m.), Eighth Grade (6-7p.m). Please be aware that teachers will not be in classrooms during Community Night. Students should attend Community Night with parents/guardians.
SCHOOL SUPPLY PICK UP
If you ordered school supplies through the LMSPA. Supplies will be available for pick up at Community Night in the LMS Cafe from 4-7 p.m.
LMSPA SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE
If you are doing any additional shopping for school supplies this summer, please consider purchasing an extra binder or combination lock to donate when we return back to school. These items are always in demand and will be distributed to students who need them via the LMS counselors, Aundrea Johnson (6), Amy Balsavias (7) and Yvette Sykes (8).
CALENDAR DATES
7/31 Back to School Summer Meeting for Families; 6:00 p.m. (LMS Cafe)
8/2 Schedules Mailed
8/5 District Opening Mtg. (Building closed until 12:30 p.m.)
8/6 LMS Back to School Staff Mtg.(Building closed until 9:45 a.m.)
8/7 All District Professional Development (Welcome Center closed until noon)
8/9 Community Night; 4-7 p.m.
8/9 School Pictures (During Community Night)
8/12 New To Ladue 7th and 8th Grade Student Orientation; 8:30-10:00 am
8/13 First Day of School
8/16 LMSPA Sponsored Parent Coffee; 8:30 - 9:30 am (LMS Cafe)
8/21 Sixth Grade Camp Parent Meeting; 7:00 pm
8/28 Meet The Teacher Night; 6:30 - 8:30 pm
8/30 Early Release Day/PD Day; 12:40 Dismissal
9/2 No School (Labor Day)
9/3 Start of After School Activities/Late Buses
9/16-9/18 6th Grade Camp Session I
9/18-9/20 6th Grade Camp Session II
9/24 School Picture Day (Absentee Only)
9/27 PD Day- No School for Students
BOARD BRIEFS
Information regarding Ladue Board of Education meetings and work sessions can be found at http://boardbriefs.
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REPEATED INFORMATION- (The information below is a review of information already communicated. No need to read if you read my last update)
NURSE NOTES- IMMUNIZATIONS (8th Grade)
Attention 8th grade parents. All students entering the 8th grade are required to have a Meningitis and Tdap on file prior to the start of the school year. Many students received these vaccines during their 6th grade year. 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 or provide you a copy to drop off at the Welcome Center. If your child still needs to have these vaccines, now is the time to get an appointment! PLEASE NOTE: Students who do not have up to date immunizations will not receive their schedules in the mail. We are also prohibited from allowing any 8th grade student from beginning classes until the necessary immunization information is provided. Please be sure to get that taken care of ASAP. Should you have any questions or concerns, contact Nurse Jenn Tucker at jtucker@ladueschools.net.
IMPORTANT 2019-2020 BACK TO SCHOOL DATES
For those of you who like to get a head start on planning, I am sharing a few important back to school
Back to School Summer Meeting- Wednesday, July 31 Schedules Mailed - Friday, August 2
Community Night - Friday, August 9 (School Pictures Taken)
First Day of School for Students - Tuesday, August 13
A few important things to note: Due to the fact that all back to school annual update forms are electronic, We WILL NOT have Packet Pick Up and will instead mail schedules and information from the LMSPA to families.
Students will take school pictures during Community Night, on August 9. This is to avoid interfering with instructional time during the school day. Photographers will be available and pictures will be taken in the gym. Absentee Picture Day for those who do not make it to Community Night will be September 24. Families should make every effort to take pictures during Community Night if at all possible.
BACK TO SCHOOL SUMMER MEETING
First Day of School for Students - Tuesday, August 13
A few important things to note: Due to the fact that all back to school annual update forms are electronic, We WILL NOT have Packet Pick Up and will instead mail schedules and information from the LMSPA to families.
Students will take school pictures during Community Night, on August 9. This is to avoid interfering with instructional time during the school day. Photographers will be available and pictures will be taken in the gym. Absentee Picture Day for those who do not make it to Community Night will be September 24. Families should make every effort to take pictures during Community Night if at all possible.
BACK TO SCHOOL SUMMER MEETING
Please mark your calendars and plan to attend our back to school meeting on July 31 at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will begin with all grade levels together in the LMS Cafe and then split into grade level specific groups. This is an opportunity for students and their parents/guardians to meet administrators, ask questions, and hear pertinent back to school
PE UNIFORMS
PE UNIFORMS
The LMS PE Department will be continuing to implement a uniform t-shirt this year for incoming sixth and seventh graders. Eighth grade students will be required to change shirts for PE, which will include a white t-shirt or any Ladue logo shirt of any color. All grade levels are encouraged to change their shorts/pants, but aren't required. The department is excited about this change as it will create more uniformity and aligns with best practices. If you missed the online form deadline, we will have shirts available at LMS Community Night in August. Should you have any questions about the shirt, please contact Mr. Chad Anderson at canderson@ladueschools.net or Ms. Vanessa Wojtow at vwojtow@ladueschools.net
EIGHTH GRADE SPORTS PHYSICALS
Eighth graders have the opportunity to play sports with other local middle schools this year in a play, no cut, free program. The sports offered are: volleyball (girls) and cross country (co-ed) in the fall; basketball (boys and girls) in the winter; and field hockey (girls) and track (co-ed) in the spring. All students who would like to participate must turn in a physical that is dated on or after February 1, 2019. Fall sports start a few weeks after school begins, so please schedule your child's physical if he or she needs one and would like to participate. More information about sign-ups will come out when school begins.
AFTER SCHOOL CARE
After School Care is offered at the Fifth Grade Center and Ladue Middle School. This program is designed to provide 5th-grade and middle school students with a safe, well-supervised after-school environment. The on-site program runs after school at each location until 6 p.m. Monday through Friday when school is in session. The afternoon schedule includes structured activities, homework time and a snack. Registration for Before and/or After School Care for the 2019-2020 school year is available online at http://www.ezchildtrack.
That's all for now!
Dr. T-J
Principal, Ladue Middle School
