FALCON FLYER

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Monday, November 25-Friday, November 29

NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Break

Monday, December 2

School Resumes

Tuesday, December 3

6/7 Grade FastBridge & 8th Grade Amplify Testing in ELA classes

Wednesday, December 4

Hearing and Vision Screening in the morning

8th Grade Amplify Testing in ELA

3:25 Basketball Game @ PRMS (A2 plays first)

7:00 PM Choir Concert

Thursday, December 5

6th Grade Amplify Testing (Schedule Change)

8th Grade Amplify Testing in ELA

3:25 Girls Basketball Game at Home vs HMS (A2 plays first)

Saturday, December 7

8-2:00 Picture Make Ups at SCH Photo

OTMS Families,

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the OTMS community. Each day, I am inspired by the dedication of our staff and the incredible efforts of our students. Please enjoy this special time with friends and family. When students return on Monday, December 2, we will have just four weeks remaining in the quarter—a perfect time to reflect and refocus on our goals.

I believe that the success of our school is built on a foundation of safety, ownership, acceptance, and respect. Every day, our devoted teachers and staff work to create a culture of excellence, creating a safe and supportive environment where all students can thrive.

I am thankful for the continued commitment of our community to achieving excellence in every classroom. Our diversity strengthens us, and together, we cultivate a positive and open school climate that empowers our students to grow and succeed.

During this season of gratitude, I want to thank you for being an essential part of our children’s lives. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to gather with loved ones and reflect on the many blessings we share. On behalf of the OTMS staff, I extend our sincere appreciation for your ongoing support and wish you a safe, joyful, and inspiring holiday.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back on December 2. Wishing each of you a wonderful Thanksgiving break!

P.S. I'd like to thank PTO for sponsoring Dave "The Coffee Guy" with Espresso Ah! La Cart who treated our staff to handcrafted coffee and hot chocolate this morning!

Warm regards,

Dr. Trent Stern

As a reminder, school dismisses at 3:00pm each day. Our staff is available to supervise students until 3:15pm. We ask that you make arrangements to ensure that your child is picked up at the appropriate time.

If your child stays for an after-school activity such as a club, sport, or co-curricular event, please be prompt in arriving to pick them up at the conclusion of the activity. Supervision of students will end 15 minutes after the activity has ended. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. We appreciate your partnership to ensure that our students are safe!

Thank you to all who were able to contribute to our Holiday Helpers program. If you have not yet dropped off gift cards or wrapping paper, please do so the week of December 2-6.

Sometimes, students avoid coming to school due to anxiety about tests, social situations, or other challenges. Staying home may seem like a temporary solution, but it can lead to even more stress as the student falls behind on work or misses important classroom interactions.

If your student is showing signs of school avoidance, whether it’s staying home on test days or frequently asking to leave early, reach out to the school. Together, we can create a supportive plan to address the underlying causes and help your child feel more comfortable in school.

If you enjoy performing and meeting new friends inf a fun group, consider joining our Indoor Colorguard Team! This team will meet once a week plus a few evenings or weekends to work on dance and flag skills and will perform 2-3 times in February and March! Consider trying it at our Try-It Sessions, which will take place on Dec 5th and Dec 12th from 3:15pm to 4:30pm in the OTMS Commons!

Indoor Winter Colorguard Try-It Sessions

Thursday, December 6th - 3:15pm to 4:15pm, OTMS Commons

Thursday, December 15th - 3:15pm to 4:15pm, OTMS Commons

Questions? Email BVN Colorguard Coach Mrs. Babkin at SEBabkin@bluevalleyk12.org or BVN Director of Bands Mr. McCarty at PMMcCarty@bluevalleyk12.org.

Please see the flyer below for information about the Blue Valley West Middle School Math Competition.

Makeup/Retake Picture day: Saturday December 7, 2024

8:00am - 2:00pm

CLICK HERE to reserve your time slot!

SCH Photo Studio

6224 Merriam Drive

Merriam, KS 66203

This session is for:
• Students who were NOT yet photographed this school year.
• Retakes of any students needed.
• Any students who want to be photographed and place an order.

**All images of each subject will be processed and sent to their respective school’s yearbook advisor or administration team.

You may have also have your pictures retaken. To be retaken, please fill out the retake form on the back side of your picture envelope and return your portrait package to the photographer on Makeup/Retake day.

PTO Calendar – upcoming events:

22 November: Staff Appreciation: Coffee with Espresso a la Carte

13 December: PTO board meeting at 11:45am

Holiday Helpers:

Thank you to everyone who donated to our holiday campaign to help several families in our school this holiday season. Your continued support of our school community is so appreciated!

Keep up to date with the latest events by following PTO on social media:

Instagram: overlandtrailmspto

Facebook: Overland Trail Middle School PTO

Monday, Dec 30
Current Grades 3-8: 11am to 1pm
Clinic will be held at Blue Valley North High School

Join the Blue Valley North Boys and Girls basketball teams and coaching staffs for a day of offensive and defensive fundamental drills. We will work on ball handling, passing, shooting and some scrimmage games. A great opportunity to get in some practice time over the winter break and for the 8th graders to prepare for their middle school tryouts.
Cost is $25. See the flyer below for more details.

This important message is for any family or staff that will travel out of the United States during the school year. Please click here to read the restrictions and recommendations for Out of the Country travel. Blue Valley resources such as Canvas, Classlink, and school email are not accessible out of the country unless you have a personal device with a VPN on it.

Is your student needing extra math support? Math Lab is offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the year both before school and after school. Attendance is taken at every session.

Morning Sessions:

Tuesday (7:10 – 7:40 AM ) in room 25 (8th grade hallway) with Ms. Hilligoss email: lhilligoss@bluevalleyk12.org

Thursday (7:10 – 7:40 AM) in room 9 (6th grade hallway) with Ms. Lintz

email: pjlintz@bluevalleyk12.org

Afternoon Sessions:

Tuesday & Thursday (3:15-4:15 PM) in the library classroom with Ms. Carter, Ms. Mills or Ms. Miller . Students must provide own transportation home and be picked up by 4:15.

emails: clcarter@bluevalleyk12.org , tmills@bluevalleyk12.org , mjmiller05@bluevalleyk12.org

Do you have questions about student expectations? These are outlined in our student handbook and our district's Code of Conduct. These documents are linked on our school website and available for students via Canvas. You may also click here for the district's current

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.

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 Resource link under the Families heading on our school website. 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.