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Weekly Wildcat
PARENT NEWSLETTER: WEEK OF 11/15/2021
Chisholm Trail Middle School
Office Hours: Mon-Thurs 7am-4pm; Fri-7am-3:30pm
16700 W. 159th Street, Olathe, KS, 66062
913-780-7240
Technical Support: Help Desk--913-780-8058
Administration
Principal: Rick Sola
Asst. Principal: Krista Dueringer (Silver-6,7,8)
kdueringercst@olatheschools.org
Asst. Principal: Erin Richerson (Green-6,7,8)
Counselors
Rachel Iuli: Green-6,7,8
Ashley Rodden: Silver-6,7,8
Nurse
Jenn Ross: jiross@olatheschools.org
School Resource Officer
Frank Galbrecht: fgalbrechtsro@olatheschools.org
Attendance Secretary
Connie Bray: cbraycst@olatheschools.org (913.780.7241)
Data Operator
Melynda Marquardt: mrmarquardt@olatheschools.orgWebsite: https://www.olatheschools.org/chisholmtrail
Location: 16700 W 159th St, Olathe, KS 66062, USA
Phone: 913-780-7240
Twitter: @CSTWildcatsMS
***Last Weekly Wildcat Until Week of 11/29***
Week of 11/15/2021
Dear CST Family,
As we conclude our month of gratitude this week, I want to thank you, our parents, for a great start to the year and for your support on all we do at CST. The work we do at CST is a community effort and partnership with parents, a partnership for which I'm truly grateful.
I'm grateful for our staff who have worked through two of the most challenging years in education. I wish I could adequately describe to you the efforts our staff make daily for our kids. So much goes into their class and our programs and it's through thoughtful consideration of our staff to how best reach all of our students. Their work is a daily inspiration for me.
Finally, I'm grateful for our students. They are why we're here, they are the motivation, they bring the energy...make our job fun. I'm grateful for so much with our students...their hard work, their laughs and joy, their successes, their productive failures (we learn so much through mistakes!), their positivity, their grit, their kindness, and on and on. I'm grateful to have a part in their middle school experience.
Simply, I feel blessed to be at CST and I am grateful for all who have a role in the work we do for our kids.
I wish you all a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving break and some special time with those closest to you.
Rick
May your planes, trains, and automobiles safely get you everywhere you need to go this Thanksgiving Break.
Week at a Glance
Monday, 11/15
- One Act practice begins
Tuesday, 11/16
- 7/8 GBB @ PT (3:30pm)
- Hearing & vision Screening (6/8 grades)
Thursday, 11/18
- 7/8 GBB vs CST (3:30pm)
Friday, 11/19
- Last day before Thanksgiving break
Looking Ahead
11/22-26th NO SCHOOL- Fall Break
11/25-- Thanksgiving
11/30--Olathe District Choir Fest (OSHS)
12/1--Heavy Metal Christmas (MNU)
12/3--Pep Assembly
12/4--KMEA Honors Orchestra/Band/Choir
12/2--All School Spelling Bee; OS Solo Choir Fest
Counseling Corner
The Counseling Department would like to take a moment to share a resource from Children’s Mercy Hospital with you. Please use this link https://www.childrensmercy.org/departments-and-clinics/developmental-and-behavioral-health/prepped-and-ready/ to access information about Prepped and Ready: Parenting into the Teen Years. This is set up as a short video series that you can watch as your schedule permits. There is no cost, and if you complete a short survey at the end, Children’s Mercy will send you a great safety kit.
Topics include eating disorder prevention, home safety (including storage of firearms, medications, etc.), screen time, self-care, substance use (including vaping), and suicide prevention.
This resource will only be available for a short time, so please don’t wait!
Contact your child's counselor with questions.
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SEE 21st Century Info Below
Wildcat After Hours and Math Lab
These programs are known as "Wildcat After Hours" (WAH) and "Math Lab". Below are available times for students to get help with homework. Please note, we are adding a "before hours" WAH program on Monday and Wednesday as well.
Wildcat After Hours
Mon-7-7:30am (Rm. 102); 3:15-4:15pm (Rm. 218)
Tues-3:15-4:15 (Rm. 302)
Wed-7-7:30am (Rm. 102); 3:15-4:15pm (Rm. 301)
Thurs-3:15-4:15pm (Rm. 214)
Math Lab (3:15-4:15pm)
6th Grade-Tues (Rm. 102); Thurs (Rm. 102)
7th Grade-Mon (Rm. 211); Thurs (Rm. 306)
8th Grade-Tues (Rm. 216); Thurs (Rm. 220)
CST Staff Thank-Yous!!!
During this month of gratitude, we would love to show thanks to our amazing teachers and staff. Please sign up for a teacher that your student would like to write a thank you to. We would like to make sure each staff member gets at least 1 thank you. Once all of the slots are taken, please just have your student write to any staff member they choose. Thank you cards need to be dropped off in the office by noon on Nov. 18 to have ready for delivery on 11/19. Thank you for supporting our CST family!
Questions can be sent to Mrs. Dueringer
NEW CST Spirit Wear!!!
Store is open until 11:59pm on 11/21--get your orders in and we'll have them to you for the holidays!
Please Help our KAY Club Help the Community
Keep bringing in CROCK POTS!
Naming the CST Mascot!
Pennies for Shoes Coming Soon...
...raising money to support Olathe kids by way of basic needs--shoes, socks, etc...campaign begins after Thanksgiving break...may the best WIN class...uh...win...
...STAY TUNED!
Message from Nurse Ross
6th and 8th grade parents,
Hearing and vision screen day is Wednesday, November 17th. Please remember to wear your glasses or contacts. 7th grade will be screened for vision at a later time.
Mock Interviews for 21st Century Academy
Thank you to the 8th grades that participated in Mock Interviews. They did a great job!
21st Century Academy applications open on Nov. 17 at 4pm and close Dec. 7 at 10 pm. Please refer to the website link for application specifics. ***Please note: When writing out your responses to the application questions, please beware that the page times out, so type your responses on a word document and then paste your responses into the application. This will allow for extra time for revisions and corrections. If you have any questions, please come see Mrs. Iuli or Mrs. Rodden in the Counseling Office.
https://www.olatheschools.org/domain/3032
Application / Application Information & Data
Applications to the 21st Century Academies for the 2021-22 school year will: Open on
November 17th at 4pm. Close on December 7th at 10pm.
THIS WEEK!
Follow @CSTWildcatsMS
Veterans Day at CST
CST Expecation Review--FYI
Parents,
Over the past week CST admin met with all 7th and 8th graders (6th graders coming next week) to review general expectations while at school. This includes behavior in the halls, classroom, lunch, walking home, etc. We talked about interactions with students, adults, and substitute teachers and use of appropriate language at school. Much of this was a refresher from the start of the year talks during WIN. Feel free to talk with your child about these visits and reach out to your child's admin with questions.
WIN Time
Literacy intervention began this past week at CST and 6th grade math intervention is just around the corner! This is non-class time used to help develop identified skills in students. Conducted during WIN time, students receive instruction in a small group setting and will be re-assessed prior to Thanksgiving. See original WIN post below for more information...
(originally posted in September)
In the weeks ahead, we'll begin providing literacy intervention for students identified through our MAP testing and reading fluency assessments in the building. This intervention will be provided during our WIN class period (8:44-9:18) and students will work in groups of 5 or less with CST teachers. All students will still be eligible for the WIN prizes described above, but may spend WIN time with one of our building literacy interventionists (one of 13 CST teachers) while they receive literacy intervention targeting any of the identified literacy gaps. This intervention time is being utilized in our Olathe Schools and achieves the state literacy mandate.
Masking at GBB Games
- While seated on the bench during games players should be masked
- Coaches and managers should be masked at all times
- While playing, players are not required to mask
Cheer
- While cheering on the sideline or performing a routine on the floor, cheerleaders do not need to mask
- All other times (sitting on the bleachers, entering and leaving the gym, meeting with coach) cheerleaders should be masked.
- Coaches should be masked at all times
Dance Team
- While performing a routine on the floor, dancers do not need to mask
- All other times (sitting on the bleachers, entering and leaving the gym, meeting with coach) dancers should be masked.
- Coaches should be masked at all times
All spectators
- Students, parents, visitors, workers, staff all need to be masked at all times while attending a game
WIN Time Update
In the weeks ahead, we'll begin providing literacy intervention for students identified through our MAP testing and reading fluency assessments in the building. This intervention will be provided during our WIN class period (8:44-9:18) and students will work in groups of 5 or less with CST teachers. All students will still be eligible for the WIN prizes described above, but may spend WIN time with one of our building literacy interventionists (one of 13 CST teachers) while they receive literacy intervention targeting any of the identified literacy gaps. This intervention time is being utilized in our Olathe Schools and achieves the state literacy mandate.
In addition, beginning Monday, all CST students will begin to receive daily phonics lessons for the first 5 minutes of their science class. This, too, is part of a district wide effort to help close any gaps that may have occurred through any of our kids' schooling. Daily phonics lessons will be fulfilled by your child's social studies teacher beginning in January.
Parent Awareness: Current Trends and Influences
Social Media Influences
A nationwide trend has recently made its way into local schools. Unfortunately, CST has not been exempt from this trend, nor have the other Olathe middle schools and high schools. The trend has been credited to TikTok and involves vandalizing schools and posting the video evidence on the social media platform. This has resulted in various acts of vandalism in Olathe including broken bathroom stall doors, mirrors pulled down from walls, soap dispensers ripped from walls, trash cans turned upside down, etc. Some have been caught as a result of their posted video making rounds. Of course, these actions can result in both school and legal consequences. The first story below features Olathe North principal, Jason Herman, who was interviewed by the KC Star.
The other articles are informational, but recent, and deal more with the mental health impact social media can have. Even working in schools as an administrator, I was not aware of some of the information below. As more focus and attention is given to the mental health of our children, the various social media platforms and their influence on the developing teenage brain is an important part of the conversation. My hope is that the links below will provide awareness of current trends and more about outside influences on our kids. Even better if these promote discussion at home.
Johnson County school has bathroom doors and toilet seats stolen, following TikTok trend (featuring Olathe principal) (9/15/2021)
https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article254240178.html
TikTokers Are Stealing From Their Schools in a New Trend (9/10/2021)
5 Things Parents Need to Know about Tik-Tok (Updated 2021)
https://kidmatterscounseling.com/blog/5-things-parents-need-to-know-about-tik-tok/
The links below require a Wall Street Journal subscription but may be found in summary on other social media awareness sites.
How TikTok Serves Up Sex and Drug Videos to Minors (9/8/2021)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/tiktok-algorithm-sex-drugs-minors-11631052944
Inside TikTok’s Algorithm: A WSJ Video Investigation(7/21/2021)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/tiktok-algorithm-video-investigation-11626877477
Awesome library announcements!!
Our CST library app has been fixed! Students may use the CST Library app (from Classlink) to access tutorials to get ebooks and audiobooks from Destiny and/or Axis360, browse book trailers and booktalks, use databases for school research, etc...
Also, bookfairs are returning!! Our fall bookfair will be the week of October 18th and the Spring bookfair will be the week of February 14th. Both of these weeks are the week after conferences and the fairs will be in the library. This year we will be using Scholastic Book Fairs. More details to come as we get closer...
https://sites.google.com/students.olatheschools.com/cstlibrary
Odds and Ends
6th Grade Devices
- Surface Go devices will be checked out to 6th grade and new students on Monday, August 16th. Returning 7th and 8th grade students should still have their device checked out to them last school year.
Extra Curricular Activities
- Students are encouraged to join CST activities! There is a strong link between school involvement and academic success. Cross Country practice begins on Tuesday, August 17 and is available to all students, 6th, 7th, and 8th. Physicals required to participate.
Water Bottles
- All students will be provided a water bottle from CST. Students are encouraged to drink plenty of water during the day. Drinking fountains will also be available for those without a water bottle.
Backpacks
- Students will be allowed to carry their backpacks this year to limit necessary locker trips. Students are encouraged to travel light and utilize their locker to help lighten the load.
Lockers
- All students have been assigned a hall locker and are expected to keep jackets/coats/extra clothing in their locker.
CST Student Handbook
Two topics often asked about are cell phones and attire. The screenshots below are from the student handbook found on our website. We aim to promote a distraction-free learning environment as much as possible and we remind students that "Chisholm Trail is a school, not the pool". We want to promote a positive academic learning environment in the way we dress, speak, and behave. Teachers and admin will review a variety of topics with students as part of our beginning of year talks.
2021-2022 Bell Schedule
District Calendars
Access to school calendars, hour listings for buildings
Year-at-a-glance, single pager/downloadable
CST Admin/Counseling Team
Rick Sola
Principal
Krista Dueringer
Erin Richerson
Rachel Iuli
Ashley Rodden
Office Staff
Receptionist: Chrissy Walters
Assistant Principal's Secretary: Angie Peterson
Attendance Secretary: Connie Bray
Bookkeeper/Principal's Secretary: Sara Harris
Data Operator: Melynda Marquardt
School Nurse: Jennifer Ross
Please keep info updated (email, phone number, medical, etc.). Contact the office at 913-780-7240 if you are concerned you may be missing communication or need to update your family's information.