Maize South Intermediate School

Hello Maverick Families!

It is hard to believe we are at the end of the semester. This is like halftime of the big game. We need to assess our strengths and our weaknesses to finish the game strong and on top. Students and staff have been working hard the first half of the game and making progress towards the goal line! Students will be taking Winter Benchmarks and Interims in both Math and ELA to assess their progress. Please encourage your students to be responsible and do their very best on these assessments to help us create a better plan so we can move forward.

At the end of each quarter, we also like to celebrate our students’ good character, leadership, and academics. Students who have received positive marks on their Positive Punch Cards, have no discipline referrals, and are not on the Opportunity List ( D/F list) will get to participate in a Winter Wonderland of Go Do It activities such as: jewelry making, crafts, cooking, PE activities, technology time, games, art, and musical fun on December 20th.

This is a great opportunity to encourage our students to finish strong and don’t give up! One of the best college football coaches of all time, Bear Bryant, always told his team,”Don’t give up at halftime! Best teams make adjustments and win the second half!” Together, we can help our students finish strong!

It truly is my joy to walk alongside our Maverick family. I wish you many magical holiday moments with the people you love most.

Happy New Year!

Karen LaMunyon

Principal, Maize South Intermediate School

Visit our school website at www.usd266.com/msis.

Connect with Mrs. LaMunyon at klamunyon@usd266.com or 316-462-8501.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Maize South Intermediate School is located at 9701 W. 37th St. N. in Wichita.

Maize South Intermediate School values the feedback from all stakeholders in helping our school continue to grow. We would love for you to take a few minutes to answer a couple of questions on how our school is doing in regards to building relationships with your students as well as creating a feeling of belonging at Maize South Intermediate School. There are no names or personal information that will be attached. The survey results will be shared as a building wide piece of data. Please click the link to take you to the survey.

Happy December!

We would love to give a huge shoutout to our staff and our amazing PTO who helped us fulfill gifts for many of our own families in need this holiday season through the Caring Hearts program.

During the month of December, our counselor lesson focused on building our self-esteem to improve our overall well being. Students were encouraged to write down five things they liked about themselves. You may ask your student if they could come up with five things and if they couldn’t help them to know all the wonderful things about themselves! The components of building self esteem are surrounding yourself with supportive people, spreading positivity, accepting compliments, not comparing yourself to others and having self compassion.

During the month of January the fifth graders will be watching films with regard to Human Growth & Development in their classrooms. Boys and Girls will watch the films separately. If you have questions or prefer for your student to not watch these films please contact Caitlin Hamilton, Tyler Slattery or MSIS nurse Hannah Weston at 316-462-8508. We are also happy to send the films if you would like to preview them ahead of time.

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season!

Tyler and Caitlin

December greetings to our Maverick family from the library here at MSIS! Our learning time lately has been split between learning about digital citizenship and connecting with good books .

Virtual Author Event:

Watermark books is hosting a live virtual event with popular author Alan Gratz. Students can sign up to receive a link to the webinar. Signing up is free. The event will take place Thursday, January 5, 2023, at 7 pm. If you are interested in this link as well, please email me at krodellusd266.com.

Great gift idea:

Alan Gratz has a new book coming out January 3. This book is a graphic novel titled Captain America: The Ghost Army. Students can pre-order it from Watermark books by filling out an order form from the library. The book is $16.11. Orders are due Thursday, December 15. Books will be delivered to students when we return January 5. Books will also come with an enamel Captain America pin. If you are interested in ordering one for your child, please contact me at krodell@usd266.com.

Battle of the Books participants have until January 31st to read at least 6 of the titles on the list. If your child is needing a specific title that continues to be checked out, please have them visit with me. I can sometimes find creative ways to help them out.

A Hint of Things to Come:

February will be a big month in the library. We will be hosting our first ever Literati book fair. We are so excited about this new vendor and are anxious to see you all here. Keep an eye out for information about a school wide challenge for the month as well!

Winter Wonderland Drop-Off and Pick-Up Information for Parents:

· MSIS staff members will be stationed at MSIS Door 15 (normal drop-off and pick-up door for school days), beginning at 5:45pm.

· Only MSIS students are allowed in the building during the Winter Wonderland event – no siblings, parents, or students from other schools.

· If a student needs to be picked up before the event is completed (8:00pm), please make sure that is communicated with your child. Staff members will be available to escort students to vehicles as needed throughout the evening. Extra staff members will be present at 8:00pm for the conclusion of the event.

Students should all have lanyards to hold their student IDs. This will help as they are moving through the lines in the cafeteria and media center. We will also be able to start using their ID cards for a-la-carte items. If you will be using your cards for a-la-carte, please make sure you have money in your Skyward Lunch accounts. Student IDs will be $3 to replace if they are lost.

Food Deliveries:

Due to federal school lunch rules, we are not allowed to have any food delivered to MSIS while federally supported lunches are being served (11:00-1:00). If this rule is violated, our district could lose its funding for school lunches. Food can be delivered to MSIS before or after the federally-funded lunches are served and anytime on days when students are not eating lunch at school.

With the increased needs in our community, we have decided to expand our Mavs Care Closet to serve students across the district. We are currently accepting donations of non-perishable food items and gently used clothing. If you would like to donate you may drop items off in the front office at Maize South Intermediate and Maize South Middle School. You may also drop off items in the counseling office at MSHS. We appreciate your support! If you have any questions or are in need of assistance you can contact Caitlin Dailey via email at cdailey@usd266.com

Thank you! Happy Holidays

Caitlin Dailey

If your child needs to take any medication at school, a consent form must be filled before any medication is administered at school. You can find this form on the USD266 website by clicking here and clicking Authorization for Medication. If this medication is prescribed by a physician, I need their signature as well in order to administer.

Please feel free to contact me by stopping by my office, calling, or emailing me if you have any questions or concerns about your student. Thank you for taking an interest in your child’s health and well-being!

Hannah Weston, RN, BSN

Phone: 316-462-8506

Fax: 316-462-8502

Email: hweston@usd266.com

Please be prepared for our MSIS QR Code Inclement Weather Parent Pick Up Plan. If you have not done so, please place your QR code in all vehicles that will be used to pick up your student. Feel free to make copies and give them to grandparents or others who might be picking up your student. If you have lost or did not receive a QR code please email your students teacher to receive a copy. We will stay inside when it is raining, snowing, icy, or feels like 20 degrees or below. As the weather gets colder, it may also be a good reminder for your students to dress appropriately when we do go outside. Please email your students teacher for new QR codes.