News
A Message from Dr. Smith
Dear Congress Cougar Family,
I am excited to welcome many of you back and to greet others new to our school community for the first time. As the new principal of Congress Middle School, I can tell you firsthand we are committed to building a culture of Excellence.
Our building leadership team has worked hard this summer reviewing policies and procedures that do not correlate to our building mission. We believe that promoting accountability is a partnership, and we look forward to working as a unit with the school and the student's homes.
Our goal is to continually improve our ability to meet the needs of all students and to increase our ability to communicate effectively with parents.
We have made gains in our student's academic performance, and we plan to continue to meet students where they are and take them where they need to be. Over the next year, our teams will monitor all students' progress, and students, based on need, will be assigned to academic interventions or enrichments. We will show our students how much we care for them by holding them accountable and expecting them to succeed and excel.
The first day of school is August 22nd, and school begins at 7:15 and ends at 2:10 PM. From the first to the last day of school, you and your children will know that Excellence is not optional here at Congress Middle School. If you have the will to succeed, your work and actions will drive your determination toward the sky.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ryan Smith
Welcome to the Cougar Den!
Congress Teachers, Support Staff, and Administration Welcome You to A New Chapter!
We are excited as the school year has started with fun learning activities, sharping our toolboxes, and preparing to reach all our students and families.
The staff would like to thank the PTA for providing our team with a Welcome Back Breakfast.
Question??
Can we please have 100% of our families join our PTA? Please be on the lookout for the form to sign up and join. Just know your support allows the school to provide more opportunities for your student.
22-23 School Theme: Your Will Your Success
Often, we as an educational institution focus on the Achievement Gap, which is not going away. Still, we must address another issue before trying to bridge the Achievement Gap. First, we must identify the Attitude Gap and ask whether our students feel comfortable in our classrooms, hallways, and cafeterias. Do they feel, see, or hear a climate and culture of Excellence, or is there a void? We seek to find value in their voice and learn how to best support their growth academically, socially, and emotionally.
Back to School
Believe it or not! We are only one week away from school, and I am excited and looking forward to seeing all our bright and beautiful smiles. The first day of school is Monday, August 22nd. The administrative team, support staff, and teachers have all been preparing classrooms, cleaning, moving furniture, and completing clerical tasks. Just know that it takes a lot to prepare for your return, so be mindful and show your appreciation by wearing your smile on August 17 for Open House and the first day of school.
Cougar Open House
We want to welcome our students and families to our building on August 17 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM. If you have completed your residency and immunization requirements, your student will receive their schedule, locker information, and an opportunity to meet team teachers.
Once you arrive, please know all our staff will be wearing our Congress Polos, so if you are lost or have questions, please find one of our staff members. To maximize our time on the 17th, please watch our introduction video to provide answers to most of your questions.
Our school nurse will be available to accept any medications and immunization updates and our register to collect residency documents. Your student will not be able to start classes until all documents are updated and approved. Finally, please know our Open House is for all our families to meet our staff and to provide peace of mind in knowing the layout of our building. If you need a 1-to-1 meeting, please be kind and call the school to schedule an appointment at (816) 359-4230. While watching the video, please know you can pause the video if the transition is a little too fast 😊
Check Out Our Welcome Video below:
Locker Information
You may decorate the inside of your locker but stickers, foam mounting tape, contact paper or any type of glue is not allowed. We ask that you keep your combination confidential, and items of high value should remain at home. While your lockers are assigned to you, please know your wonderful administrators can open and search at any time, when necessary, without your permission.
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)
Congratulations to all our returning and incoming AVID students! What a year we have in store for you! AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a college and career readiness program that prepares our students to be college, career, and life ready. While our AVID classes are enrolled based on application, we apply WICOR strategies across the building, so that means all our students benefit from our AVID program. We are excited to have Mr. Aaron Bratcher as our new AVID Teacher and Site Coordinator and Mrs. Amber Kahler as our AVID Site Administrator.
Students new and returning to AVID will have a Signing Ceremony on August 17th from 5:30 – 6:00PM in our Congress Gymnasium. The ceremony will only be opened to our current and returning AVID students and their families. Please plan to enter and exit through our gymnasium doors on August 17th.
Middle School Supply List
ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL
Car Riders Drop Zone - GREEN SPACE ONLY
Bus Riders - RED ZONE ONLY (For your Childs' safety DO NOT DROP IN THE BUS AREA.
Walker - GREEN/YELLOW ZONE
22-23 Nutrition Application
22-23 - NO FREE LUNCH
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
Meal pricing as of July 1, 2022 is provided below. Free and Reduced Meal Applications for the 22-23 school year will be available after August 1, 2022.
Elementary school meals Prices
Breakfast $1.50
Lunch $2.70
Middle school and high school meals
Breakfast $1.75 (regular)
$1.90 (premium)
Lunch $3.10 (regular)
$3.50 (premium)
Beverages
Milk $0.70
Juice $0.40
Athletics Information
Students seeking to participate in any of our sports this year must have a current physical and ImPACT test on file. All information related to our sports may be found on our school website under the Get Involved Tab. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to Assistant Principal Athletic Director Brian Van Horn (816) 359 – 4230.
Read more about ImPACT testing.
The IMPACT test is valid for 2 years so if your athlete took it last year, they do not need to re-take it this year. Please have them double check if they are unsure.
Football Schedule
Schedule
Summer Practice;
7/25 - 7/29; Week 1: Monday - Thursday 8:00-9:30am
8/1 - 8/5; Week 2: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 8:00-9:45am
8/8 - 8/12; Week 3: Monday - Wednesday 8:00-9:45am
8/15 - 8/19; Week 4: DEAD WEEK - NO PRACTICES
8/22; School Starts; Monday - Friday 2:30-4:30pm
PARK HILL STAR AWARDS
Our employees are the reason we are so successful here in the Park Hill School District, and we would like to recognize them for all they do for our students. That is why we present the Park Hill Star award once a month to a pre-K or elementary teacher, a secondary teacher and a support employee. Anyone can nominate an employee for this award by using the form below.