Lansdowne Middle Newsletter

Hello LMS families,

Marking Period 4 closes this Friday. Students will have a half-day of school on Friday, April 4th and will dismiss at 11:50am (Lunch will be served). Please work with students to ensure that all work is completed and turned in. Contact teachers for a phone or in-person conference as needed.

Thank you,

Ryan Warfel

Principal

• Karen Morales Tadeo is an exemplary student in 8th grade. She always does her work at a high quality and is respectful to others.

• Stiven Portillo Reyes is always prepared for class with his charged device, he participates in class, and volunteers to help around the room.

• Cristian Felipe Lem always gets his work done, he participates in class, and he challenges himself with his academics.

For Ms. Wall, working in education is all about making a meaningful impact on students and their families. Inspired by the teachers who shaped her own life for the better, she was drawn to the classroom with the goal of being that same positive force for her students. At Lansdowne Middle School, she finds joy in witnessing the growth and progress her students make over the years. One of her favorite aspects of teaching is seeing students she taught in 6th grade thrive as 8th graders, with stronger reading skills and newfound confidence. Watching their transformation over two and a half years is a constant reminder of the power of persistence and support.

Outside the classroom, Ms. Wall loves spending time in the great outdoors. Whether she’s camping, kayaking, biking, or soaking up the sun at the beach, nature is her escape. She also enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, finding stress relief in cooking and baking new recipes. And of course, as an ELA teacher, she’s an avid reader. Growing up, she adored the Percy Jackson series for its humor and captivating mythology. These days, she’s a big fan of mysteries—particularly Agatha Christie novels—enjoying the challenge of solving the mystery alongside the book’s detectives.

If Ms. Wall could choose any superpower, it would be teleportation. With her busy schedule, the ability to instantly appear in different places would make moving between classes and meetings a breeze. Plus, she admits it would be pretty handy for quickly popping into classrooms to retrieve her frequently misplaced coffee. ☕

Thank you, Ms. Wall, for your unwavering dedication, creativity, and the positive influence you have on your students every day. LMS is lucky to have you! 💙👏

Our Community Schools Facilitator and CARES Liaison, Ms. Carr and Ms. Young, have been hard at work preparing our CARES Closet, which houses non perishable food items, hygiene products, and gently used clothing. Please stop by and see us. If you would like to visit please sign up here https://forms.office.com/r/CmVraFL8s5 or to select a time outside of the open house hours, please email us at dcarr6@bcps.org or syoung6@bcps.org.

If you have items you would like us to have in the CARE Closet, please let us know here: https://forms.office.com/r/3E43AxA5Xt

LMS is here to support our parent community. If you need translation support for job applications, bills or something else, we are here to help. We have a dedicated translator here every Tuesday and Thursday that can support you. Sign up for a time slot here.

We need you! Please consider becoming a Volunteer this year. There will be opportunities to support with events, in classrooms, on field trips and more! Every interested person must complete the BCPS.

*If you are ready to apply now, please go to https://www.bcps.org/cos/communications/FACE/b_c_p_s_volunteers for more information and to get started.

We are committed to to fostering safe and inclusive learning environments where all students thrive—

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has identified several resources that may support you:

• Parents/guardians can identify a “standby guardian” to care for their child if they are detained or deported, by completing this Maryland Judiciary form and providing a copy to schools, health care providers, and family members.
  
• Families trying to locate someone who has already been detained, may use the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainee locator.
  
• Legal assistance is available from a variety of sources, including immigration lawyers in private practice, accredited representatives (non-attorneys who assist individuals in immigration proceedings), and legal-aid organizations:

The People’s Law Library of Maryland Immigration Advocates Network

Immigration Advocates Network

• Several immigration organizations have provided guidance related to preparing for and/or responding to immigration action.
• Family Preparedness Plans – Michigan Immigration Rights Center.
• ACLU.
• Immigrant Resource Center.
• USAHello.

Immigration Summit Registration is Open

Registration for the 12th Annual Baltimore Immigration Summit is now open! Click the button below to be directed to our registration page.

On Friday, May 30, at Towson University, this free, one-day event will bring together activists, service providers, policy makers, scholars, artists, and other Baltimore-based change-makers.

Our theme, Baltimore United: Solidarity and Action in Uncertain Times, will serve as an opportunity to find strength in and solutions through our collective action to champion the rights and dignity of New Americans.

Due to high demand, registering does not guarantee a spot at this time. Attendees will have their registration status confirmed by April 21. We appreciate your patience.

We are encountering more and more students experimenting with vaping. Please see the attached flyer to learn more about the dangers of vaping and talk to your child. Please reach out to our school nurse, Ms. Snyder, if you have additional questions at asnyder4@bcps.org.

We are excited to announce Multicultural Night on Wednesday, April 23rd from 5-6:30p. On this night, we will celebrate our diverse community through art, dance, food, and more. Please bring the whole family, and let us know if you would like to support the event. More information can be found here: https://forms.office.com/r/nqLbTH7jT7

Please register here to join us to clean up the community!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/phg-cleanup-lansdowne-middle-school-lms-tickets-1203915025249?aff=oddtdtcreator

The Career and College Readiness class is sponsoring a food drive for our pantry. Boxes will be placed throughout the school for collection. The food drive will be start on March 11, 2025, and the last date for collections will be on April 10, 2025. The students have set a goal to collect 1000 non-perishable items. Let's help the students be a success in their food drive!

Lansdowne High School's (3800 Hollins Ferry Rd) Food Pantry will be open and available on the following dates from 2:30-5pm.

4/10

4/24

5/8

The PTSA @ LMS Presents

In conjunction with the Lansdowne Community CLean Up Day

Saturday April 26th 7am-1pm at 2400 Lansdowne Rd - RAIN OR SHINE

(Community Clean Up 10am-1pm)

Each space is the size of 1 parking space

Spaces $15 each

Food Truck Spaces $50 each

Please email PTSAatLMS@gmail.com, call or text at 301-458-0805

Cash, Check, Money Order, CashApp, Zelle, or Paypal accepted

We have a request from the school for donations to support Teacher Appreciation Week (May 5th–9th). If you know of any businesses that would like to contribute, please let me know. Our Secretary is preparing a donation letter to send out. The PTSA will handle donation collections and distributions.

Regarding officer nominations: Our May meeting will include officer nominations. To be nominated, you must be a member in good standing who has paid the 2024–2025 dues of $10.00 (see update below). You may nominate yourself or be nominated by someone else. Each nominee must accept the nomination to be added to the ballot for the June meeting. To operate, we require the following positions to be filled:

• President
• Secretary
• Treasurer

PTSA Dues Can now be paid electronically!!!! Please use the QR Code to get your dues paid for this year. We have a meeting this Thursday. See details below.

The PTSA also has a brand new Facebook page. Please join here . We hope to see you at our meetings this year.

The Board of the PTSA at LMS has voted to adjust our meeting schedule. Please note the updated dates and times below:

• Monday, April 7th at 6:00 PM – Board Meeting
• Monday, May 5th at 6:00 PM – General Membership Meeting (Officer Nominations)
• Monday, June 2nd at 6:00 PM – General Membership Meeting (Officer Elections)

Discuss new initiatives, fundraisers, and more! Please join the meeting by clicking the "Join the PTA" image.