Cougar Update
December Edition
Please read the message from Dr. Smith, Principal.
Congress Cougars!
I hope you're having a great day. Just a quick announcement about the upcoming NWEA testing on December 4th, 5th, and 7th. During the testing sessions, all students will need to put their phones in their lockers until the test block has ended.
The NWEA test, or Measures of Academic Progress, is an adaptive achievement and growth test that provides essential information about what your child knows and is ready to learn. It adapts to each student's learning level and measures their progress and growth. If your child answers a question correctly, the computer will provide a more challenging question, and if they miss a question, an easier one will be asked. This personalized assessment experience gives you important information about your child's knowledge and readiness to learn.
As the weather gets colder, we ask parents to monitor their children's temperature when they're feeling unwell. If their temperature is 100.4°F or greater, please keep them home for the day. We've noticed more blankets and bedspreads in the building, but unfortunately, those items are not appropriate for the learning environment. If your child feels cold, please consider old-fashioned long johns to keep them warm.
Lastly, please check in with your child to make sure they're not missing any assignments. Our teachers are providing several missing assignment interventions, so please encourage your child to submit assignments on time. Parents and guardians, please continue to check Infinite Campus for missing assignments and encourage your child not to wait until the last day or week to make up any missing assignments.
Thank you for your attention, and have a great day!
Best regards,
Dr. Smith
JUST IN CASE YOU MISSED SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION!😁
Make dinner a selfless act by joining us for a fundraiser to support Congress Middle School PTA. Come in to the Chipotle at 8600 N Boardwalk Ave in Kansas City on Wednesday, January 18th between 4:00pm and 8:00pm. Bring in this flyer, show it on your smartphone or tell the cashier you’re supporting the cause to make sure that 33% of event sales go to Congress PTA.
To order online: Use code VV24BFM in ‘promo’ field before checkout. Orders placed online or through the Chipotle app for pickup using this unique code will be counted. Remember, delivery orders or orders placed at a different time/location than the scheduled fundraiser will not count.
Help Control The Leaves
PARK HILL STAR AWARDS
Mrs. Kara Spaeth - Star Nominee
Congratulations to Congress Middle School Reading Teacher Mrs. Kara Spaeth for being nominated for the Park Hill Star Award.
Mr. James Kruse - Star Nominee
Congratulations to Congress Middle School Assistant Head Custodian Mr. James Kruse for being nominated for the Park Hill Star Award.
Ms. Kelsey Kumsher - Star Nominee
Congratulations to Congress Middle School Special Education Teacher Ms. Kelsey Kumsher for being nominated for the Park Hill Star Award.
Because You Care
Our employees are the reason we are so successful here at Congress Middle School and the Park Hill School District, and the Park Hill School District would like to recognize us for all we do for our students.
The Park Hill Star award is awarded monthly to any staff member in the school district. Anyone can nominate an employee for this award by using the form below. In addition, please send a note of encouragement to our Congress Staff, letting them know you care.
Sometimes, negative comments are made directly to our staff members or posted on social media. We want to change that narrative! We want the positive vibes to outweigh the negative vibes. Please vote for one of our staff members or send a kind note to staff members for the entire month of December.
AMI School Days
Winter months are upon us, and we've already experienced the first snow of the season. Below you will find links to our Alternative Modes of Instruction (AMI) schedules for teams. As we prepare our students for high school, we expect them to take responsibility for their learning. It may seem like they need help navigating different websites and learning platforms, but they always shine once given the opportunity. Some may take longer than others, but they all find a way. Our Congress kids are true ROCKSTARS!
News from the Library Media Center:
We have been very busy in the Library Media Center! We have taught several lessons, including looking for reliable resources and a history breakout room. One of our favorite spaces in the library is our “refrigerator” where all students have the opportunity to post their accomplishments both in and out of school.
We love talking with students and hearing what they are proud of and what makes them happy. We are getting ready for a small Book of the Month Club starting in the 3rd Quarter. A few students from each team will be randomly chosen to participate, and they will have the opportunity to bring home a bag with a couple of books and a few treats from their favorite genre. At the end of the month, they will return the bag with the books and a form answering a few brief questions.
Wishing you and yours a restful winter break,
Mrs. Curtis and Mrs. Guinn
Please read the message from Mrs. Kahler, Assistant Principal
District Spelling Bee
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We wrapped up a great month of activities with our students, from the choir, band, and orchestra concerts to a basketball tournament and finalizing with our PBIS student incentive on December 21st. This month was full of great celebrations.
On December 17th, we held our district spelling Bee at Park Hill High School. It was a success! The winner of our Park Hill Spelling Bee was Samuel Goodfriend (Lakeview). Sam also tied for 2nd place during last year’s district spelling bee. After the Bee, we acknowledged our top 12 5th and 8th-grade winners.
Please join me in congratulating these students.
TOP 12
1st place Samuel Goodfriend (Lakeview)
2nd place Boden Cumming (Walden)
3rd place Justin Woodland (Walden)
4th place Maclin Miller (Hopewell)
5th place Sydney Deering (Hawthorn)
6th place tie for Annay Bansal (Plaza) and Eleanor Reece (Lakeview)
8th place Charles Kriegel (English Landing)
9th place Spencer Cumming (Line Creek)
10th place tie Nato Dinka (Hawthorn), Sam Ballard (Congress), and Sophia Benezette (Renner)
Enjoy your time with family and friends and I look forward to seeing students back in January.
Sincerely,
Amber Kahler
Congress Families,
We have reached the mid-season mark for the 2022-23 basketball season. We look forward to seeing our families out and supporting our students.
Please look for more information, but we would like to have spirit nights on some of our home and away games. If you still need to check out our school store, please do so and order your Congress gear. Proceeds raised will go to support our programs.
Parents, this is also the perfect time to encourage your students to manage their grades. Failing grades will eliminate some students from participating in extracurricular activities.
Please check our school website, Get Involved at Congress, for all updated sports-related information.
FAN GEAR! Get Ready For The Game!!!
Store Password: Cougars
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.
Parents We Need Your Help!!
Message from Sprigeo
We created Sprigeo so people would feel safer at school. When a person really needs help or there is a safety threat at school we hope you will step up and send in a report. Sending in a false report makes it harder for your school to help the people who really need it. If necessary you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. You can find out more about Sprigeo and the School District Safety Evaluation at Sprigeo.com. Thanks for using Sprigeo!
Joe Bruzzese, Founder of SprigeoIf you feel unsafe or know someone who feels unsafe, please report it here. After you fill out the form below, Sprigeo sends an email to a school administrator with all of the details from your report. You can also download one of our apps from the Apple Store or the Android Marketplace to submit a report.
- Safety threats, bullying, harassment or intimidation at school
- Safety threats, bullying, harassment or intimidation outside of school
- Cyberbullying; Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc.
- Fights, drugs, alcohol or weapons at school
- Friends who talk about hurting themselves