April 29, 2016

TJs Tidbits

Greetings LMS Families, 

Brrrrr.... it is REALLY cold out and the perfect night for snuggling under a blanket and enjoying a cup of hot chocolate or coffee. My family had a couple of events to attend today that were canceled. The hubby had one engagement and said the roads were pretty bad heading home. Looks like we are having a snow day. Yippee!! I just got the call. I held off sending my update until I got the word, so I would not share conflicting info. 

Last week our entire school had the privilege of seeing a performance of the musical Hairspray Jr.  during the school day. Many families attended on either Wednesday or Thursday evening as well.  I have received so many complimentary emails about the show. From all accounts, everyone who saw the show felt it was absolutely AMAZING! I agree 100% and can't put into words how proud I am of the 65 student cast and crew who participated. My deepest appreciation goes to Ms. Leah Alrutz for her work. I also want to thank the many parents who supported by making sure your kiddos were able to attend weeks of rehearsal. Lastly, thank you also to the group of parents who purchased or prepared food for the cast and crew the two nights of the show.

If you have not seen Hairspray, it is set in the 60s and deals with segregation. Following the musical, students returned to class meetings and had discussion about ways they can serve as allies for groups/individuals who are treated unfairly. We hope students walked away inspired to individually make a difference at school or in society like the characters in the musical and and felt compelled to share their thoughts with families at home. I included a few pics from the dress rehearsal in the Parent Link email. Enjoy! 

Have a great week and try to stay healthy. There are lots of bugs going around. I was out last week myself, but am feeling much better. Thank goodness! Nothing like being sick while on Winter Break. No Fun. 

NEW INFORMATION

FRIDAY 12/20 IS AN ER DAY (12:40 Dismissal)- Please plan accordingly. 

CHARACTER COUNCIL NEEDIEST CASES FUNDRAISER 12/19 We will having a Pajama Day Fundraiser sponsored by the LMS Character Council on Thursday, December 19. Students wanting to participate will need to donate $1.00 to wear their PJs to school.  All proceeds will benefit the 100 Neediest Cases, a St St. Louis tradition. For generations, the 100 Neediest Cases campaign has helped thousands of families and individuals during the holidays throughout the St. Louis region. The 100 Neediest Cases tradition began in the 1920s when the Christmas festival provided dinner and toys for those in need.  United Way of Greater St. Louis and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch have partnered for more than five decades, renaming the campaign 100 Neediest Cases in 1954.

FUNDS FOR EXCELLENCE DEADLINE EXTENDED 12/20 -The LMSPA has extended the deadline for the Winter Funds for Excellence donations until Friday, December 20th. Remember this is our largest fundraiser of the school year that funds many activities, programs and purchases that help elevate your child's learning experience as well as support LMS teachers and staff. Any amount is greatly appreciated! You may visit the LMSPA website or use the paper form to submit your donation. Thank you for your continued support of our school community!

HOLIDAY HAPPINESS GIFT DRIVE 

Ladue Middle School is teaming up again with the LMSPA to brighten the holiday season for families in need within our own Ladue School District community. To figure out how you can assist and share in the Holiday Happiness. Please click on the following link: Holiday Happiness Gift Drive 

INCLEMENT WEATHER -Winter Break is quickly approaching and will be here before we know it! And, as we’ve learned in the past, the worst of St. Louis weather usually visits us after the first of the year. That first snowy day a few weeks ago gave us the opportunity to identify a few changes we can make to improve our plans for when we need to start school a little later when the roads have improved. The flyer that was sent to families last week from the Communications Department contains these changes, and they are noted below.

“Late Start” Days will now be referred to as “Snow Schedule” Days in all communications from the Ladue School District. “Snow Schedule” is an option provided by most of the automated systems our local news media use and will allow us to use these communications channels for announcements on days when school will be starting at a later time due to inclement weather.

Ladue Early Childhood Center (LECC) New Start Time. The LECC’s new Snow Schedule time will be 10:15 a.m. This 15-minute difference will allow more time between the start of the elementary schools and the start of the LECC for parents who have children at both schools.

As always, a big thank you goes out to all of you for your flexibility and patience as we endeavor to balance the safety of our students and staff with our desire to have our students with us on all scheduled days.  

REPLIES TO FAMILY UPDATES/SCHOOL REMINDERS (REPOST)

I have recently become aware that families may have been replying to my Family Updates/School Reminders with questions. Please NOTE: if you hit reply to emails that are generated through our BlackBoard Parent Link System, those emails do not come to me. The Parent Link system does not allow reply emails generated from my update. Families will need to email me separately at ttaylor@ladueschools.net. I apologize if you have emailed and have not received a response as this is the reason why. Hopefully, this will not be a problem moving forward. 

LMS COMMUNITY CLOSET NOW OPEN (REPOST)

After great collaboration and planning, the LMS Community Closet will be ready to help our students and family members who need gently used winter items starting next week!

If your LMS student needs warm winter outerwear (coat, jacket, hat, gloves) please have the student see his/her grade level counselor. The counselor will accompany the student to the Closet to choose items for themselves and anyone else in the family who needs them. 

The Closet is currently stocked with gently used things in a variety of sizes. We hope to also have packaged socks, personal care items and clothing in the near future.

To respect the dignity and confidentiality of your student, the Closet is in a discreet location and only available to students accompanied by counselors or administrators. Students will learn about the Closet through regular announcements and advertising; we don’t want to assume anything and won’t single out students to refer to the service.

Many of you will ask how you can support this important project. The best way to help right now is to donate to the Ladue Family Assistance Fund. The Ladue School District maintains a Family Assistance Fund to help families experiencing short-term and/or unexpected financial issues that impact the ability of students to be successful in school. These funds are managed discreetly by the district's Student Services Department. Donations are routed through the Ladue Education Foundation, making them tax deductible for those who generously choose to contribute.

Below is the link should you want to make a contribution:

https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/LadueEducationFoundation/familyassistance.html

Please, no clothing donations for now!  If you have any questions, you may contact your student’s grade level counselor or principal. You may also contact our district social worker. 

Emails are below:

6th Grade Counselor-Aundrea Johnson, ajohnson@ladueschools.net

6th Grade Principal-Scott Lackey, slackey@ladueschools.net

7th Grade Counselor-Amy Balsavias, abalsavias@ladueschools.net

7th Grade Principal-Solomon Knight, sknight@ladueschools.net 

8th Grade Counselor-Yvette Sykes, ysykes@ladueschools.net

8th Grade Principal- Sarah Schwartz, saschwartz@ladueschools.net

District Social Worker –Danielle Green, dgreen@ladueschools.net

HIGH SCHOOL TRANSITION-8th GRADE ONLY (REPOST)

With second semester quickly approaching, the Ladue High School transition is beginning! Please note important dates and events that will occur after Winter Break.

High School Tours and Counselor Presentation- 

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 freshmen. Students will receive the high school curriculum handbook and registration information at this time. The field trip will be taken by team. The Trailblazer and LEAP teams will go on Wednesday, January 8; the Pioneer team on Thursday, January 9; and the Patriot team on Friday, January 10. Permission slips were handed out this week, and are due back on Wednesday, December 18. Copies of the permission slip is attached to this email in case you have not yet seen it. This field trip is free. Please note that students who are absent or unable to attend their team's field trip are unable to be rescheduled for another team's field trip day due to the logistics that are required to plan this field trip.

High School Curriculum Night-January 9, 6pm at the High School Performing Arts Center

This is an event where parents can learn more about the high school requirements and 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 tour field trip. Students who miss their field trip can get similar information at this event.

Individual Counselor Visits

Mrs. Sykes has visited classes and will continue to do so in January in order to talk about student interests/career exploration and how that translates to high school course offerings. She will also follow up with students in the classroom after their tours to answer questions and assist with registration.

The high school counselor, Ms. Sydnei Henry, will meet individually with students the week of February 3. During this time, they will review the courses which students have chosen. 

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.

This information and more will be sent again in January. If you have any questions, feel free to email Yvette Sykes (ysykes@ladueschools.net) or (saschwartz@ladueschools.net)

LMSPA NEWSLETTER: Please click the link for the most recent LMSPA Newsletter

CALENDAR DATES (new additions in red) 

12/16 Field Trip: 8th Grade Patriots to Arch

12/17 M&M Club
12/17 Ladue Parent Council Mtg

12/20 Early Release Records Day

12/20 End of 2nd Quarter

1/6 School Resumes

1/8 Trailblazer/Leap Field Trip

1/9 Pioneer Field Trip

1/10 Patriot Field Trip

1/10 Ski Club

1/15 8th Grade Parents to Lunch

1/17 Early Release 12:40 Dismissal

1/20 No School

1/20 Martin Luther King Jr. Day

1/23 NJHS Service Field Trip

1/23 7th Grade Parents to Lunch

1/23 School Wide National Geography Bee

1/24 6th Grade Parents to Lunch

1/29 M&M Club Bowling Trip

1/30 Class Mtg

1/31 Ski Club

2/1 Vex Robotics Competition 

LMSPA INFO 

LMSPA MEETINGS 

The Ladue Middle School Parent Association 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): 

Thurs. 1/9, 9-10:30am
Wed. 2/5, 6:30-8 pm (LMS Library)
Tues. 3/10, 9-10:30am 
Wed. 4/1, 6:30-8 pm (LMS Library)
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/eblast-newsletter/

The LMSPA can also be followed on Facebook at 

http://www.facebook.com/LadueMiddleSchoolParentAssociation/ 

and on Twitter @mylmspa 

LMSPA SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE 
If you are doing any additional shopping for school supplies, 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).

BOARD BRIEFS

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

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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 NEWS (From Nurse Williams)
The opportunity to update the Student Health Assessment online for school year 2019-2020 has ended. This form gives Nurse Williams consent to administer first aid to your child in the school clinic or to seek medical treatment in the event of an emergency and provides information on how to reach your child’s physician should the need arise. Call Nurse Williams at 314-983-5530 or email her at nwilliams@ladueschools.net for a paper copy. The document is under the Parents link on the LMS website.

SAFE STOP

We are excited to announce the launching of SafeStop! Now you can track the progress of your child’s bus by GPS, and you get to decide how and when you are notified of its location. This product was piloted by a group of parents last year with great success and is now available to all Ladue Schools parents. Simply follow the directions on the SafeStop flyer which is also posted to the district’s website and will come to you via Peachjar, as well. To get set up, you only need your child(ren)’s student ID. (You can find student IDs on Infinite Campus or by calling your child’s school’s office.) If you have questions, please contact our transportation department at businfo@ladueschools.net or 314-983-5396. We hope you find this product to add a little extra convenience to your morning and afternoon routines.

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 Guidebook, which was sent home with all students and 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. 

BEFORE SCHOOL LOCATIONS 

When students enter the building at 7:30 a.m., they will be directed to the cafeteria until sent to their grade level areas. 6th grade will be in the multipurpose room, 7th will be on the boys side of the gym, and 8th will be on the girls side of the gym. This will be the expectation for the remainder of the school year. 

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). Breakfast is not considered “social time.” Students participating in the breakfast program are expected to eat as quickly as possible and head to class. Students not meeting breakfast expectations may lose breakfast privileges.     

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 in our Student Handbook, which will be sent home with each student in the near future.

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 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 (3:10/3:20), 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 3:10, 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.

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. 

BUS INFO

To find out more information about your bus route, you may access the Ladue School District website. Once you're on the home page, go to “for Parents > Bus Information” in the navigation at the top of the page. You will find links to the routes for all schools in the right column, as well as contact information should you have any questions or concerns.

STUDENT PICK UP 

This is a reminder to parents/guardians who are picking up students from school events/activities. Please make every effort to arrive on time to get your students.  We are starting to experience students waiting on rides well after dismissal, sometimes up to an hour. This request is made not only for safety reasons, but to also ensure our staff can get home to their families. We greatly appreciate your assistance with this matter. 

BUS PASS INFO
This Bus Pass form is required at those times when your child must ride a bus not covering his/her usual route. In order for your request to be considered, the bus pass form must be completed and returned to Danna Anderson 24 hours prior to the requested change. Please note that bus passes may not be available on all routes if there is concern about having available space.

• Bus passes will no longer be accepted on the following buses due to capacity concerns: L1, L2, L3, L5, L9, and L10, L12, and L19

EARLY DISMISSALS

Please try to always call ahead to Danna Anderson 983-5513 or email at danderson@ladueschools.net for early dismissals. We will deliver a note to your child to ensure he/she is down in the office and ready to go when you arrive. This process allows the student to leave the classroom without the disruption of a phone call into the classroom.  We get very busy at the end of the day in the front office so it is extremely important that parents call ahead for late afternoon dismissals and try to limit them as much as possible. 

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.

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES- Our After School Activities Roster is now posted on the LMS website.  Click on the: After School Activities 2019-2020 link to see what's offered. The list is also posted on the bulletin board in our main lobby. Activities run from 3:20-4:20 p.m. Students participating in after school activities should not leave at the 3:10 bell, but should instead wait to be dismissed at 3:20 with carpool. Transportation for after school activities scheduled from 3:20-4:20, is provided for district residents via late bus on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A list that tells students which bus they ride is posted in the lobby. Two after school supervisors will also be available to provide bus numbers in case students forget. PLEASE NOTE: Late bus numbers (1 WEST, 2 WEST, 1 EAST, 2 EAST, and 3 EAST) are different from regular after school bus numbers. Please notify your student. Should your student elect to participate, please review the following information below.

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

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 if 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. 

LMS STUDENT GUIDEBOOK

I am sharing a link to our 2019-2020 LMS Student Guidebook, which contains a wealth of information about our school program and expectations. Please take some time to review this information at home as a family to ensure both you and your student are familiar with its contents. Hard copies were sent home at the start of the school year. 

That's all for now!

Dr. T-J 

Principal, Ladue Middle School