KAMSC Newsletter
September 6, 2024
It was so great to see so many attend open house this week. We had 90 student represented by attendees and a total of 171 people in attendance. Now that you have some visualization of how your student's day looks and you have had a chance to meet and greet their teacher, next we invite you to check in on your student's progress. At KAMSC we use Synergy as our grading platform. Students have been given access and know how to check their grades. If you are a parent of a freshman and attended open house, then you received your parent log in there. For those that did not attend open house, freshman parent log ins will be mailed home and hopefully you either have it by now or will in the next day or two. I encourage you to either use your log in this weekend or, if you don't yet have it, have your student log in with you to see how they are doing so far. The best way to access ParentVUE is through the KAMSC.org webpage (under "Current Students" - ParentVUE login)
I will also be taking a "reading" on grades starting on week four and every three weeks after that. From there, we at KAMSC will be working with you and your child to provide extra support structures if needed. Please click on the Multi-tiered System of Supports Plan below to see how we plan to support students this year. This is something new we are trying in order to best support students with their learning along the way. If you are a parent of an upperclassman and can't remember how to log in, please let me know and we will get you your information. heather.kortlandt@kamsc.org
Heather Kortlandt
Director, KAMSC
Vectors!
Organic Chemistry Lab Apparatus
Students learn to use the tools in the lab. Pictured here students are using a "melt station" which allows them to discover accurate melting temperatures of a solid substance. Other students were learning to set up distillation lab stations.
Food (Pizza) Provided!
9th graders are encouraged to attend the 9th grade mixer which will be held on floor 1 in room 130 from 6:00-7:30pm on Wed. Sept 11th. Please enter through the Dutton Street entrance. We will also have open lab going on upstairs at KAMSC for other students needing some assistance from their teachers. At the mixer students will play games and continue to form lasting connections with their KAMSC peers. These are important events to bring students together as we promote collaboration here at KAMSC and that is most successful when strong relationships exist. We hope your child can make it.
Any student in Honors Biology is welcomed and encouraged to attend a field trip to the West Lake Nature Preserve to explore a variety of ecosystems and the flora and fauna characteristics of Southwest Michigan. Each student is assigned a date based on their KAMSC group, either Sept 17, 18, or 19. The permission slip can be accessed by clicking the button below. Students will be transported by school bus from KAMSC to West Lake and back. They will leave at 8am and return at 10:15. Please dress appropriately for the weather as students will be outside for the entire time.
- No open-toed shoes or sandals
- Consider bring sunscreen or insect repellent.
- Students should also bring a notebook and writing utensil.
discuss opportunities for KAMSC students. All students and families are invited.
We also have College Admissions Representative visits: check the College Planning Calendar on our website: https://kamsc.org/college-visits/ This will be updated as visits are scheduled.
Who is Cleo? You may have met him at open house, but Cleo is a district provided therapist that KAMSC students are able to seek counseling with if needed. When I talked with Cleo this week he said that some of his busiest times last year at KAMSC were around exam times. You can imagine the type of stress students are under at that time between exams here and at their partner district. He is a wonderful resource and we want to make sure all parents and students know and understand that he is available at open lab on Wednesday nights. He can also accommodate phone or virtual appointments at other times if your student is unable to make it to open lab. Cleo is pictured here with Mrs. Joyce at Open house this week.
If you student is going to be absent from school you must notify both your partner school and KAMSC (if they are gone all day) and always KAMSC if they are gone during their KAMSC classes. Please remember that attendance is vital as the content moves fast and we want students to have as much of their classroom experience as possible. To notify KAMSC call (337-0004) or email kamsc.office@kamsc.org.
If you are dropping off or picking up your student at KAMSC, please do so at the Vine Street entrance. Please find a safe place to pull over and then have you student proceed to the Vine street entrance. If students are driving themselves:
1. They need to acquire a parking pass from the KAMSC office - please fill this out
2. They need to park by the El Sol playground off of Dutton Street (but then walk to Vine street entrance)
3. They should be reminded to not keep anything valuable in their car and to keep their cars locked at all times.
4. The building will have a campus security officer at the Vine Street entrance during times of arrivals and dismissals.
KAMSC follows the KPS code of conduct for student discipline. Please be advised of it. Specific behaviors we would love your help with talking with your child about at home are:
- Academic Integrity - cheating is rampant in many high schools today with the influx of AI tools at the disposal of students. We need students' own authentic work being handed in. Keep in mind that the real lesson here is that the person who does the learning is the person who does the work. Students ultimately cheat themselves out of learning in these scenarios.
- Bullying- We know that with so many human interactions happening from class to class and in between that students will be navigating their interpersonal/social skills. Please remind them that choosing to be nice is always the best choice. True bullying is pervasive in nature and is disruptive to the learning environment, but if we all treat each other with kindness daily, we won't venture into this territory.
- Name calling/inappropriate language - Words matter. At KAMSC we are so lucky to come together from so many different households, partner schools and backgrounds. We must be very thoughtful about the words we use so that everyone here feels safe and welcomed.
