LKMS Families,

Thank you for a wonderful first semester of the 24-25 school year. It's hard to believe that we are already halfway through the school year. It feels like we blinked and it's winter break! It has been a true pleasure to get to watch our students learn and grow throughout this semester. While I may only be a little biased, I am confident when I say that the LKMS students, parents, and teachers are the best around. It is rare to have a group of students who are as kind, helpful, and hardworking as ours. I am so proud of the work we have done to build a strong and positive culture that makes LKMS a wonderful place to be. I am thankful every day for the opportunity to lead this great school. Wishing everyone a wonderful winter break and a happy new year. See you all again in 2025!

Best,

Dr. Lisa Stolper

Each month the LKMS staff identifies two students at each grade level as the "Students of the Month." These students consistently display the LKMS virtues of being kind, responsible and safe. In addition, these students are leaders and role models amongst their peers. A huge congratulations to each of our September students. We are so proud of each of you!

Check out all of the great things happening at LKMS! The November/December News Broadcast made by STUCO is live now!

All lost and found items will be donated when we return from winter break. If you have any missing items, please come check the lost and found during the week of January 6-10. Any items still left at school will be donated at this time.

As the weather is getting colder, the car line is longer in the morning and the afternoon. We need your help to keep the car line moving efficiently and to keep everyone safe. Please remember that you need to pull all the way forward in the line before dropping off your student. If you are dropping a student off you can wait in the car line or park and have your student walk across the crosswalk. The outside lane should only be used to leave the parking lot or pull into the parking area. Please do not enter the drop off line from the outside lane. We appreciate your help in keeping our parking lot safe!

It is essential that students arrive on time to school so they can be present for all instruction. The following policy will be implemented for students who arrive tardy to 1st hour:

• Teachers begin their classes at 7:51 and every late arrival creates an interruption that takes away from the learning environment - and students often miss key instructional elements when they arrive late.
• We will closely track tardies. When a student reaches their 4th late arrival to school a notification email will be sent to parents. On the 5th late arrival (and subsequent late arrivals) the student will be assigned a morning or afternoon detention to be served within the same week.
• The tally for tardies will reset each quarter**** (new tardies will start being tracked for 3rd quarter on Monday, January 6)

The school day is an important academic, social and emotional learning environment. Cell phones and air pods create an interference in the school environment – yet we see the number of students with electronics at school continue to increase.

• This school year we will clearly communicate to students that cell phones are to be out of sight and turned off/silenced from 7:51am – 3:00pm.
• Air Pods and wireless headphones will not be permitted during school hours this year. Students can use wired headphones with their Chromebooks to complete class assignments and work.
• If a student has their phone or air pods out - or is using their phone or air pods without explicit permission from a teacher – the phone will be taken from the student and returned to the student at the end of the school day.
• Repeated issues will likely bring additional disciplinary action.
• If you have a critical or urgent message for your student, please call 913-239-5800 and our office staff will deliver the message.
• Any text messages received by your student during the school day can be read at 3:00 PM.
• Ultimately, we want our kids to be focused on the academic, social, and emotional learning we work hard to provide and limit the distractions that cell phones bring.

Yearbook Purchase Available-- Saving school-year memories… If you have not ordered a yearbook for your student and would like to do so, you may still order! The cost is $25 and can be paid in your Parent Vue account under “optional fees”. You may also pay with cash or check --payable to Lakewood Middle School-- NOTING YOUR STUDENT’S NAME IN THE MEMO SECTION, bringing it to the LKM office. Orders will not be accepted after January 30th 2025.

If you do not know if you have already ordered a yearbook, check your Parent Vue account in the FEES tab on the left side. Look for the notation of “24-25 Yearbook” and the $25 payment. If there is not a” 24-25 Yearbook” listed, you have NOT purchased a yearbook.

At the end of each quarter, courses in Canvas will conclude and will no longer be visible on the Canvas app. However, a concluded course remains visible through the Canvas website by selecting ALL COURSES and then PAST ENROLLMENTS.

Important dates for families:

Please note: The dates are subject to change based upon calendar updates or technology needs.

How do I view my child’s report card?

• Log in on ParentVue.

• Select the student’s name

• In the left navigation bar, choose Report Card

Each new quarter, classroom teachers will publish the next quarter’s Canvas course. As courses are published, students and families will again be able to see current courses on the Canvas app and Canvas website. For Canvas parent resources, visit www.bluevalleyk12.org/canvas.

Ready or not, high school enrollment is coming! Please save the following dates for important high school enrollment events for our 8th grade students.

• Tuesday, 1/14: High School Counselors talk with 8th grade Students During Super Flex (students only)
• Wednesday 1/15: NEW JAG NIGHT at Blue Valley West (parents and students)
• Wednesday, 1/29: Forms are due in Student Services
• Wednesday, 2/5: BVW counseling team meets with LKMS students to complete/collect enrollment cards during ELA (at LKMS)

We know there may be times when unexpected circumstances present a hardship for families in our community. Blue Valley has resources within each school available to help students through challenging times, including counselors, social workers, school psychologists and building administrators.

• On the District website, the Student Well-Being page provides valuable information for families who may need support outside of what the school provides.

• We also want to make sure you are aware of a Family Support and Resources Request under the Families heading on our school website. The request link can also be found at the bottom of our homepage under the School Quick Links heading. Information submitted on this form related to a specific situation and family need will be reviewed by the building principals and the school social worker. While we cannot guarantee that we can provide the requested resources, we will do our best to identify and recommend available support.

Some January Celebrations & Observances:

• National Poverty in America Awareness Month - raises awareness about the struggles millions of Americans face living in poverty. It encourages learning about the causes of poverty, supporting those in need, and working to create solutions that promote economic equality and opportunity.

• World Braille Day - January 4 - a day to raise awareness and attention to accessibility for those with visual impairments and celebrate Braille's invention. This tactile writing system was invented in the 1800s by Louis Braille.

• Lohri - January 13 - celebrated primarily by Sikhs and Hindus, the festival marks the end of the winter solstice and harvesting of winter crops. Some families will sing and dance around a bonfire, exchange gifts with friends and family, and tell tales of bravery.

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - January 20 - a day that honors the life and legacy of the civil rights leader. Some families will participate in a day of service to their communities.

• Lunar New Year - January 29 - celebrated by families of Chinese and other Asian heritages, some people celebrate with religious ceremonies honoring ancestors, giving and receiving red envelopes containing small amounts of money, lighting colorful lanterns, and eating traditional foods such as dumplings and sticky rice balls that symbolize family unity.

Middle school is a crucial time for developing consistent attendance habits. Patterns of absenteeism can begin to emerge during these years, and once established, they can be difficult to break. When students start missing school regularly, it becomes easier to fall into a cycle of absences, which impacts their academic progress and social involvement.

We encourage families to monitor their student’s attendance closely and address any emerging patterns early. By setting expectations for consistent attendance, students can develop strong habits that will benefit them throughout their educational journey.

Blue Valley Schools is committed to promoting and fostering a safe environment in and around all our schools. We are continuously working to prevent, mitigate, respond to and recover from a wide range of situations. Please check out available ways to report safety concerns.

Thank you for joining our staff for Back to School Night. We were pleased to see such a great turnout and appreciate your partnership in helping launch the school year. Our staff has been hard at work creating and sharing structured expectations for our school community along with how we are going to teach and reinforce them in all settings. You may have seen our visuals or graphics during your visit. Click here to read a few points about why these are important to our school.

Do you own a business?

Does your company match charitable donations?

Do you want to make a tax deductible donation before the end of the year?

The LKM PTO is seeking sponsors for our upcoming adult only event, “A Night at the Races, Mouse Derby”. In return for your donation, your business name will be featured in our digital and print advertisement of the event. Please visit our website for the various sponsorship levels and what you receive with each level. https://lakewoodmspto.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/307970

Registration is also open at the following link: https://lakewoodmspto.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/312183

Please reach out to the PTO with any questions at lkmsptopresident@gmail.com.

Join us for an adult only event benefiting LKMS on January 17, 2025 from 7-9 PM! Tickets are on sale now!

The LKMS PTO is now on Facebook! Please follow us for PTO news and school information! https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565738816285&scrlybrkr=96814e09

Do you need holiday gift ideas? Are you interested in purchasing BVW spirit wear? Visit this link to purchase spirit wear from BVW at any time!

No School December 23-January 3 - Winter Break, School Resumes January 6

Monday, January 6

• Yearbook club in room 302 (7:30-7:45 AM)
• Diversity council in room 165 (3:00-3:30 PM)
• Boys Basketball Tryouts begin (3:00-4:30 PM)

Tuesday, January 7

• Cheer Practice 7:00-7:45 AM
• Jazz band @ 7:10 AM
• No HW Help this week
• AI Club in room 161 (3:00-4:00 PM)
• Chess club in room 106 (3:00-4:00 PM)
• D&D club in the library - 6th grade (3:00-4:00 PM)
• 3D club in room 138 (3:00-4:00 PM)
• Newspaper club in room 107 (3:00-4:00 PM)
• Boys Basketball Tryouts (3:00-4:30 PM)

Wednesday, January 8

• STUCO in room 203 (3:10-3:40 PM)
• D&D club in the library - 7th and 8th grade (3:00-4:00 PM)
• Video Game Club in Room 310 (3:10p-4:00p)
  
• Service club in room 303
• Boys Basketball Tryouts (3:00-4:30 PM)

Thursday, January 9

• Jazz band @ 7:10 AM
• No HW Help this week

• Science Olympiad in 8th Pod (3:10-4:00 PM

• Drama Club in Room 143 (3:15-4:00 PM)

• Nail Club in Room 305 (3:00-3:45 PM)

• Boys Basketball Tryouts (3:00-4:30 PM)

Friday, January 10

• Math Counts (3:00-4:00 PM)

• Boys Basketball Tryouts (3:00-4:30 PM)

These messages are sent from an unmonitored account. If you have specific questions, please email Lisa Stolper (lostolper@bluevalleyk12.org) or Dylan Owings (dowings@bluevalleyk12.org).