Happy 2025, SLMS Families!

I hope this message finds you and your family well and that you’ve enjoyed a much-needed holiday break. As we prepare for the start of the second semester, we’re looking forward to welcoming students back on Tuesday, January 7.

Please note, given the current weather forecast, adjustments may occur if Alternative Methods of Instruction (AMI) days are implemented. For detailed information about AMI days, please refer to the next section of this newsletter.

As we begin the second semester, many students will transition to new exploratory schedules. To help your child navigate this change smoothly, please remind them to review their third quarter/semester two schedules in PowerSchool before Tuesday.

This is also a great time for students to set new goals and establish positive habits. Whether your child is continuing strong routines or starting fresh, we encourage them to focus on:

• Getting and staying organized.

• Maintaining consistent attendance.

• Completing assignments on time.

The new semester is a perfect opportunity for reflection, growth, and academic success. Our dedicated staff is here to support your child every step of the way.

Thank you for your continued partnership in making SLMS a thriving place for learning and growth. We are excited about the journey ahead and look forward to another busy and rewarding semester!

Respectfully,

David Mitchell, Ed.D.

Principal, SLMS

Trister 3, Quarter 2, and semester 1 report cards will be shared electronically with families on January 8 (NOTE: This date may be altered should there be weather-related school closures). The following is a reminder regarding grading at SLMS due to the different course lengths at each grade level:

• Trister 3 (6th grade) grades reflect the final grade for the most recent 6th grade trimester class

• Semester grades reflect the final grade for all elective and core classes and are cumulative in nature rather than an average of quarters 1 and 2.

• For a more detailed review of your child’s grade, please log into PowerSchool.

Honor roll will be calculated based on semester 1 performance only and will be shared electronically the week of January 13-17 with families of students who met the following criteria: The Principal's Scholarship Honor Roll requires a 3.667 GPA and the Scholarship Honor Roll requires a 3.00 GPA.

Additionally, each teacher will provide citizenship feedback to parents for classes that have been completed (end of trimester, quarter, semester, etc.). Citizenship marks reflect a student’s class behavior throughout the quarter.

• S: Satisfactory: Consistently meets individual classroom expectations

• N: Needs Improvement: Inconsistency with meeting classroom expectations

U: Unsatisfactory: Consistently not meeting individual classroom expectations

A reminder to all families regarding our AMI (Alternative Method of Instruction) procedures should we have weather-related school closures this winter. On AMI days, district communication will be sent to families and staff announcing that all school classes will take place virtually, along with reminders for students regarding how to access instructional materials.

For SLMS, teachers will post student assignments in Schoology by 9:00am and be available to answer questions during Google Help Meet times (10:00-Noon) NOTE: Teachers will share Google Meet codes with students through Schoology. In addition to the virtual help sessions, staff will be available via email during normal school hours (7:35am-3:30pm)

In the event of a DELAYED START (Two-hour late start):

School will begin two hours later than normal. For middle school, our start time would be 10:20am. Buses would run their regular routes adjusted by two hours (ex. A regular pick up time of 7:35am would be 9:35am).

• Archery: Wednesday1/8 and Thursday 1/9 - 7:00PM
• D&D Club: Thursday 1/9- 3:30 - 4:30PM - Applications form https://forms.gle/fv4oBJThZykTrHwR9
• Embroidery: Tuesday 1/7 - 7:35AM
• Falcon Smart: Thursday 1/9 - 7:30AM
• First Priority: Thursday 1/9- 7:35AM
• GSA: Monday 1/13 & 1/27- 7:40AM in Ms. Whyte's room.
• LSTA: Tuesday 1/14 - 7:35AM
• Peer Mentors: Thursday 1/16 - 7:30AM

SLMS is celebrating our 25th Anniversary this year. To celebrate all of the great things that have happened over the last 25 years, all current and former staff will be invited to gather, and we are looking for donations to fill baskets for a raffle to thank them for their hard work and dedication over the years. If your business or organization would be willing to contribute anything for these baskets, it would be greatly appreciated.

If you have a donation, please contact Ibby Griffin at elizabeth.griffin@LSR7.net and we can come pick it up. If you would rather drop it off at school, it can be dropped off at the front office with a note that it is for Ibby Griffin for the 25th anniversary celebration. It may also be mailed to the school to the attention of Ibby Griffin.

Do you know any high school students who are in need of A+ hours? SLMS is looking for tutors on Tuesday and Thursday from 2:40-3:15. Please contact Ms. Thompson at caitlin.thompson@lsr7.net if you or anyone you know is interested in helping tutor our SLMS students!

Wednesday, January 15th during Advisory, there will be a meeting for all students interested in participating in Winter Basketball Intramurals. Coaches will be leading the meeting and giving information about the intramural season. Tickets for the meeting will be given out at lunch that day. All students 6th-8th can participate. The season will run from January 27th through February 27th.

Dear SLMS Families,

I want to remind our families that all LSR7 students in grades K-8 are to be accompanied by an adult while attending district evening activities. This includes middle school athletic competitions, both indoors and out, which begin at 4:00pm.

SLMS will provide Falcon Fan Days during our fall, winter, and spring sports seasons. Falcon Fan Days are an exception and allow students with signed permission slips to stay after school and attend our home contests without their parent/guardian in attendance. Students participating in Falcon Fan Days will have some supervised time after school followed by attending the contest and sit in our designated student section. Students who are signed up will receive a ticket for a hotdog + water/pop or water/pop + candy at our PTA concession stand. Students are always encouraged to attend our athletic events to support their fellow falcons with a parent or guardian.

24-25 Falcon Fan Day Dates:

• Volleyball - 9/16

• Cross Country - 9/30

• Football - 10/8

• Wrestling - 11/20

• Girls Basketball - 12/5

• Boys Basketball - 1/14

• Track - 4/22

We are proud of the many outstanding and successful extracurricular activities that our students participate in and we want families and students to be able to support and enjoy these events safely.

Thank you for your support with this expectation. We appreciate your partnership.

Respectfully,

SLMS Administration

At SLMS students are expected to complete all assignments on time and submit on the date they are due. Homework is given as practice to assure that students are building the necessary skills to master course objectives. We believe that meaningful work should be completed prior to taking any assessment. Our goal is to ensure that all students are reaching the desired grade-level standards that have been established for each course.

Students will have a set amount of passes for missing/incomplete homework per subject. When all passes have been used for that subject area, students will be assigned a before or after-school Homework Center. This is an opportunity to complete missing homework and get help from teachers. Students should report to the LMC with missing assignments to work on when assigned to the Homework Center.

Homework Center Hours: - Located in RM 510

• AM: Monday - Thursday (7:30-8:10)

• AM: Friday (8:30-9:10)

• PM: Monday (3:20-4:20)

In the case that your student is absent during a test in a class, they will be given the opportunity to take the test in the Testing Center. This is a proctored environment to provide the student with an ideal testing environment.

Testing Center Hours:

• AM: Monday - Thursday (7:30-8:10)

• Monday - Rm 520

• Wednesday - Rm 520

• Tuesday/Thursday - Rm 613

• AM: Friday (8:30-9:10) - Rm 511

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With an increase of fall allergies and illnesses starting the health room would like you to send your students prepared. Your student is always welcome to carry a water bottle and lozenges with them in the building. We are unfortunately unable to provide every student with water bottles and lozenges, so it is best to send these items with your student daily. We have multiple water filling stations throughout the building, so a reusable water bottle is a great investment!

In order to ensure that transportation needs are met, we ask that you follow the below processes for end of day transportation changes:

• If you need to communicate a transportation change with a student, we ask that you notify the main office prior to 3:00pm. This allows us time to reach your student with the message, as students begin dismissing at 3:13pm.
• It is difficult to check students out between 3:00pm-3:15pm, as many activities occur during Advisory at the end of the day, and students are often moving between locations in the building. In order to ensure that you are not waiting, or late to appointments - please pick up your student prior to 3:00pm if you need to leave before 3:15pm.
• If you need a one-day bus pass for your student to ride home with a friend on a different bus - we need written permission from both families prior to 1:30pm the day of in order to arrange this with transportation. Written permission can be emailed to courtney.mitchell@lsr7.net.

We appreciate all your help and understanding in helping to ensure that all of our Falcons have a safe and timely dismissal.

LSR7 is now hiring school bus drivers. No experience needed, and the opportunity includes paid training, full benefits and pay starting at $20.03 - $28.05 per hour based on experience. Have a vested interest in supporting students?

Apply to be one of our district's greatest assets.

Call 816-986-4287 for more information.

Email: firstname.lastname@lsr7.net
Website: slms.lsr7.org
Location: 3500 Southwest Windemere Drive, Lee's Summit, MO, USA
Phone: 816-986-1375
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/summitlakes
Twitter: @SLMSFalcons