KSTM Newsletter January 2025

Happy New Year to all our KSTM families, students and staff. We are excited to kick-off Second Semester on Monday, January 6th, 2025. It will be an "A" day.

January will be a busy month will many different activities occurring - I have included a few highlights below. For a full list of all activities and announcements, please be sure to check the KSTM website found here for upcoming events, the staff directory, and other important information. https://www.ops.org/kingscience

Important Reminders and Upcoming Events:

• Reminder there is No School on Monday, January 20th, there is no school for staff and students because it is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
• KSTM OPEN HOUSE for perspective elementary and other middle school students is on Tuesday, January 14th from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
• Happening this month is the KSTM SCIENCE FAIR on Thursday January 16th. The KSTM Science Fair will take place during the morning in the cafeteria for students that are participating. More information will be sent home to individual families on the awards ceremony and other needed specifics.
• There is a LATE START professional development morning on Tuesday, January 28th, 2025. There will be NO breakfast served at school. School starts that morning at 9:40am.
• Saturday, February 1st, 2025, KSTM is hosting a ROBOTICS Tournament for metro students. That is also the date of the African-American History Challege that will take place at TAC.
• If you are interested in your student attending after school tutoring at KSTM, reach out to Nicole Benson - Nicole.Benson@ops.org or call at 531-299-7030 for more information regarding Tutoring at KSTM.

#KSTMPROUD,

Jane Laughlin

Principal

Congratulations to the KSTM GATE team that won the 2024 THINK TANK challenge at UNO this fall. They competed against all the middle schools in OPS. This team was coached by Mrs. Tina Brown and Dr. Nancy Faber.

Wildcat Club Spotlight

Mrs. Muya
We are thrilled to welcome Mrs. Muya as our newly hired Assistant Wildcat Club Site Director! Mrs. Muya brings extensive experience as a site director, complemented by her background and bachelor's degree in Social Work. As a married mother of five, she loves reading and is deeply passionate about literacy. We are excited to have her on board and look forward to her contributions to the Wildcat Club!

What We Have Been Up To:

Parent/Family Advisory Board Meeting
Wednesday, December 4th
We held our first meeting to discuss ideas and gather feedback for Wildcats Club programming. Thank you to all who participated and shared valuable input!

Winter Wonderland Family Night
Thursday, December 5th
Families joined us to celebrate the holiday season with fun, festive activities. It was a wonderful evening filled with joy and community spirit.

Non-School Day Field Trip

Friday, December 20th

Students enjoyed an exciting outing to SkateCity in Bellevue, where they had a blast roller skating with their friends.

Upcoming Events:

Non-School Day Field Trip
Monday, January 20th
We’re heading to Maplewood Lanes for a fun day of bowling! Students, get ready to show off your bowling skills.

Living Museum & Trivia Night
Thursday, February 13th, 5:30-7:00 PM
Join us for an engaging evening featuring our Living Museum and a Trivia Night. It’s a perfect blend of education and entertainment for the whole family!

Wildcats Club's Mission is to grow a strong & diverse tech community through education, career development, & outreach.

High School Selection

We hope you were able to attend the high school showcase event on Monday, December 9th at UNO. It served as the kickoff event of the school selection process and allowed you and your student the opportunity to explore academies and pathways available at each OPS high school. Staff and students from each school were available to talk about course offerings, advanced academics, world languages, performing/fine arts, and extra-curricular opportunities.

If you missed it, there are still plenty of opportunities to explore! High school open houses are happening all throughout January. Be sure you're talking with your student regarding high schools they are interested in and add open house dates and times to your calendar. We have worked together to explore various high schools, so be sure to ask them what they've learned! Everything you need to know regarding high school selection can be found on this OPS website. A screenshot of open house dates and times are listed below for your convenience.

High school applications will be sent out via email on Monday, January 6th. Please ensure the correct emails are listed for your student on Infinite Campus. If they need updated, please call KSTM's data registrar at 531-299-7407 as soon as possible with the preferred email address.

2025-26 New School Placement

6th and 7th grade families, if you are interested in your student attending a different middle school next year, school selection applications are open now. Head over to OPS's school selection webpage for additional information.

Career Fair: April 2025

We are looking to highlight the careers of our students' families and community members! Do you or someone you know work in a career KSTM students when enjoy hearing about? Email Ms. Thompson or Mrs. Hixson with a name, contact info, and career to be included in our 2025 career fair!

College Visits

All 7th and 8th grade students had the opportunity to visit a college campus this year! In October, 7th grade students attended Midland University in Fremont and in November, 8th grade students visited Central Community College in Columbus. KSTM students took campus tours, spoke to college students and athletes, and even ate like college students! See below for data from our time on campuses and a few photos. Thank you for your support in ensuring students have the opportunity to learn about their post-secondary options!

Updates from 6th Grade

The 6th graders have finished their lessons on Anxiety and depression. This next semester we will be starting lessons on bullying and behavior. Students will learn the difference between bullying and mean behavior, the definitions and types of bullying, and how to handle their peers in these situations in a confident and respectful manner. Hope you had a great holiday.

In November, the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) released state test scores for the 2023-24 school year. You may hear it referred to as “NSCAS,” or the Nebraska Student Centered Assessment System. NDE classifies schools across our state from “Needs Improvement” to “Excellent.” State test scores, student academic growth, English language proficiency and attendance in the school determine each school’s classification.

If your student is in a grade that takes the NSCAS test, your family has received information about your child’s individual performance. If you have questions, please contact your student’s teacher(s). We encourage all families to regularly review MAP Growth data. That is a test that students take more frequently – with data available immediately. It is a proven source of information about your student’s current strengths and opportunities in the classroom. Student data has always guided our instruction. We are constantly working to build on our instruction and improve outcomes for all students

8th Grade Administrators:

• Ms. LaDeidre Jackson: 531-299-4016 LaDeidre.Jackson@ops.org
• Mr. Odell Santos: 531-299-3774 Odell.Santos@ops.org

7th Grade Administrator

• Ms. Nicole Benson: 531-299-7030 Nicole.Benson@ops.org

6th Grade Administrator

• Ms. Roxana Silva: 531-299-9049 Carmen.Silva@ops.org

Instructional Facilitator (all grade levels)

• Mrs. Kelcey Schmitz, 531-299-8027 Kelcey.Schmitz@ops.org

Contact AD Odell Santos with questions regarding sports activities or events at 531-299-3774

Attention Students and Families: There are 415 minutes in the school day, and every minute counts! Tardies to class disrupt the classroom, interrupt the lesson, and put students at risk of falling behind. The school will send daily emails to parents and guardians of students who were tardy to one or more classes.. BE RESPONSIBLE, WILDCATS! Get to class on time.

Just a reminder, we do not let students carry around large backpacks at KSTM. Students may carry around draw-string bags (one was provided to every student), small backpacks, side satchels, small purses. Students must put all large backpacks or personal items in their lockers.

The OPS Parent Survey link is open all year long.

SURVEY LINK: http://www.tinyurl.com/OPSParentVoice