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AMS Cougar News
Sunday, April 7, 2024
Principal's Message
Dear AMS Cougar Families,
I hope everyone had a restful Spring Break.
Tomorrow, Monday, April 8 there will be the Great North American Solar Eclipse, with an 87% partial eclipse in Asheville. This will be taking place in the afternoon before, during, and after dismissal. Our science teachers have created a plan to allow every student the opportunity to view the eclipse through ISO-compliant solar viewing glasses while school is in session. As the eclipse will continue once students are making their way home via bus, car, or by foot, it is critical that students understand how to keep themselves safe during the eclipse. Please reiterate that attempting to view the eclipse without the use of these glasses could cause damage to someone's eyes. Likewise, trying to use a phone camera to take photos of the eclipse, without putting the glasses in front of the lens could also damage the optics in the phone's camera. Students will be allowed to keep their viewing glasses to take home, so they should be able to keep themselves safe throughout the entirity of the eclipse. The next solar eclipse of this magnitude that will stretch from coast to coast will not be until 2045, so we want students to be able to experience this one!
On Tuesday, the next step in the middle school reconfiguration process will take place. A group of stakeholders (e.g., staff, students, and family members) from both Asheville Middle School and Montford North Star will spend most of the day alongside Central Office leaders working to ensure the smoothest transition possible.
While this past week was technically Assistant Principal's Appreciation week, it is no fun to celebrate our amazing Assistant Principals when we are not in school. We will be spending this week making them feel extra special. Thank you, Mrs. Adams, Mr. Johnston, and Mr. Powchak for all that you do for our students, staff, and families. Please feel free to send a note of appreciation to them!
Likewise, last Thursday was School Library Appreciation Day. We really appreciate Ms. Noblitt and Ms. Mohr and all that they do for our students. Please feel free to send a note of appreciation to them, also.
Report cards will go home this week. Please send them back signed and returned to your student's advisory teacher.
This Thursday's Community Night will be a Block Party with activities in the gym. As usual, we will start the night at 5:30 in the cafeteria with a free catered meal and homework support. Just a reminder that students should be attending with a family member or another adult. I hope to see you, there!
We are now heading into the final quarter of the year. Please ensure that your student is present and on time each day and encourage them to try their very best as they learn the last bits of the curriculum. We have a couple of more rounds of benchmark testing (i.e., NC Check-Ins on April 23-25 and Star Testing May 7-8), which will give us last minute data on what we need to focus on with students before the end of the year.
Finally, I want to give a shout out to the students, staff, and families who sponsored a water stop for the Asheville Marathon and Half-Marathon a few weeks ago on behalf of the PTO. Our water spot won the spirit award, netting the PTO an extra $500! Way to go Cougars!
Here's to a great week at Asheville Middle School!
Jo Landreth
Principal
Asheville Middle School
Lane and Sidewalk Closure Notice for South French Broad
Area Wide Protective, on behalf of the Duke Energy contractor Sumter Utilities, will be conducting overhead utility work along S French Broad Ave from Dailey Dr to the Asheville Middle School entrance and is requesting a lane and sidewalk closure.
The lane and sidewalk closure will be from 7 am to 5 pm on Thursday, 4/4/24, and ending Friday, 5/3/24 (possibly up to Friday, 5/24/24).
This will impact traffic tremendously on S. French Broad Avenue for a month. There is a HIGH probability of delays due to road work, parents picking up, and buses all trying to access this area.
Please review the attached closure and provide any feedback or concerns for Safety Operations.
Claxton Elementary Centennial Celebration
Asheville City Schools Bands Centennial
AMS GSA Meeting Dates
Spring 2024 Community Night Schedule
Procedures for Inclement Weather
ACS Volunteer Training for 2023-2024
All Sessions Are Virtual
Please register at the Sign-up Genius link below
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C4DA9AD28AAF58-48335470-acsvolunteer#/
The sessions last between 30-40 minutes.
You will need to attend the entire session in order to receive credit for the training. Once the training session starts, you will not be allowed into the Zoom session. Attendance will be taken at the end of each session.
Tuesday, March 26, at 9:00 AM
Please note that we will continue to add dates to the schedule throughout the school year.
Tech Troubleshooting At-home
Information for New Families
Every second counts! We need students in school learning every day. When an emergency arises and you must make an appointment for your student, please avoid having to pick them up between 3-3:30. That is a very busy time of the day in our building and our parking lot. Also, please try to plan vacations and trips during regularly scheduled holidays and teacher workdays.
Cell Phones
The best place for cell phones is at home, but if your student needs a cell phone for an after-school activity, they can bring it to school as long as it is locked in their locker from 8:30-3:30. Students may also drop them off with the front office staff in the morning. Please do not attempt to communicate with your student via cell phone during the school day. AMS is not responsible for lost or damaged cell phones.
Dress Code
Please set your student up for success by ensuring you are sending them to school in clothing that follows the dress code. Here are a few highlights: 1) Clothing may not depict offensive, violent, graphic images or reference illegal activities. 2) Outfits must not show stomach. 3) Tops must have fabrics on the sides (under arms) and front side (midriff) unless a student is wearing a tank underneath. 4) Pajamas, slippers, blankets, onesies, and nighttime attire are not appropriate unless it is a special event, such as pajama day. Bedroom slippers are not safe choices for school. 5) Students’ bottoms must be covered. 6) Clothing must not be see-through and must cover undergarments and the torso. (waistbands and bra straps may be visible. 7) Students' faces’, including eyes, must be visible; no full face coverings or sunglasses. (Religious and medical exemptions may apply.)
Drop Off/Pick Up
If you are going to be dropping off/picking up your student, please plan on doing so through car line. Please do not ask your student to walk down South French Broad to meet you at another location or try to pull into our parking lot to speed up the process. The carline is the safest spot for student dropoff/pickup!
Meals
Please let your student know if you want them to regularly utilize breakfast and lunch at school. I have listed the pricing for breakfast and lunch below. You can put money into their account at K12PaymentCenter.com. Please check their balance weekly to ensure that they are not accruing debt. Please consider completing an online meal application to potentially qualify for free or reduced meal pricing.
Student Paid Breakfast: $1.50 Student Reduced Lunch: 40¢
A La Carte Milk (1/2 pint): .75¢ Student Paid Lunch: $3.50
Medications
If your student has any medications that they regularly or occasionally need to have access to at school, a physician must complete the necessary paperwork so that the medicine may be on campus. This includes if your student self-carries an asthma inhaler. Contact Nurse Moore with questions: nikeya.moore@acsgmail.net.
Outside Food and Beverages
Students should not bring outside beverages into the school in the morning other than water. Students with coffees, fast food soft drinks, etc. will be asked to throw them away before entering the building.
Students may not receive outside food deliveries such as Door Dash or Uber Eats. Also, please do not personally deliver restaurant food to school for your student or others. This is disruptive to the school day and will not be allowed in the cafeteria.
Transportation
If you live in the district and would like for your student to utilize bus transportation, please go to our website or the ACS website to complete a transportation request. Bus requests take 3-5 days to process. At the beginning of the school year, it can take longer. You will receive an assignment notification before August 14th, provided your request was placed by August 11, 2023.
Important back-to-school Dates
- Wednesday 8/23 Students/Parents can access PowerSchool to see student schedules
- Thursday 8/24 AMS Meet the Teacher 4-7 PM
- Monday 8/28 First Day of School 8:30-3:30
- Thursdays starting 9/14 United Way Community Nights featuring Homework Diner 5-6:30 (Free catered meal, homework support, and often an activity at AMS open to all Asheville City School students and their families. Mark the Thursdays from 9/14-12/14 on your calendar now!
ACS Transportation Request Form 2023-2024
A Refresher on Student Meal Accounts
K12PaymentCenter.com brings school breakfast and lunch into the internet age. Using the
secure site to make your payments and monitor your student’s account gives you the
assurance of knowing where your money is going and how it is being spent.
K12PaymentCenter.com removes the stress that comes with making sure your student has
cash for breakfast or lunch.
K12PaymentCenter.com is an easy, secure and convenient way to pay for nutritious breakfasts and lunches for your student. For more information go to www.K12PaymentCenter.com .
K12PaymentCenter.com offers our parents the following services:
● Make meal payments on the Internet using your credit card
● Check your student’s meal account balance
● Get low balance alerts by email
● See what your child is buying
Additionally, it is possible to send in cash or checks (made out to AMS) to put money into the account.
If you do not want your student to purchase meals at school, please have this conversation with them so that they do not accrue a debt that you may not be anticipating.
Applying for Free or Reduced Lunch
Asheville City Schools School Nutrition offers Online Free and Reduced Price School Meals Applications
Apply online for your children to receive free or reduced-price school meals. Your application
will be sent from a secure website directly to Asheville City Schools, so you don’t need to
worry about filling out a paper form that could be lost or misplaced.
www.LunchApplication.com has been designed to make it easy for you to know exactly what
information you need to provide and to guide you through the process. Once your application
has been received the district office will determine your eligibility and send you a letter with the
results.
To apply, simply go to www.LunchApplication.com and Click Apply Now.
*If you do not have access to the internet please complete the paper copy of the 2023-2024
free and reduced-price school meals application. These are available for pick-up at AMS.
**If you have already received a letter telling you that your child was preapproved for meal
benefits you do not need to reapply. Please make sure all of the school-aged children living in
your household are listed on the approval letter. If not, please contact the School Nutrition
Office at 828-350-6171.
Applying for Educational Leave
Just a reminder from the AMS Family and Student Handbook:
Please try to plan vacations and trips during regularly scheduled holidays and teacher workdays.
Requests for educational leave should be completed and submitted to the principal at least two weeks in advance of the planned travel. No more than five days will be approved, and families must submit this form and students must submit the assigned work to have the absence coded as educational leave.
In order for an absence to be considered educational, the student must meet educational goals and standards as outlined in the Standard Course of Study. All standards are available here on the NC Department of Public Instruction website. These standards must be listed out on the form.
School Exclusion Criteria
School Health Program
A Division of the MAHEC Family Health Center
When to Keep Your Student Home from School
There are times when your student should not attend school. Keeping your student home at these times will prevent the spread of illness to other students at school. If you have questions, please contact our School Nurse, Nikeya Moore at 828-767-3869.
When to Keep Your Student Home from School
There are times when your student should not attend school. Keeping your student home at these times will prevent the spread of illness to other students at school.
If you have questions, please contact your School Nurse, .
ILLNESS
WHAT TO DO?
Difficulty breathing or other signs of serious illness
Keep student home. See Healthcare Provider.
Chickenpox
Keep student home until they have no new sores for 24 hours AND all sores are dried and crusted. An evaluation by a medical provider is strongly encouraged to provide future proof of immunity to chickenpox and that school nurse must be notified if student has chickenpox.
**During an outbreak (5 cases of more) of chickenpox, students who are NOT vaccinated for chickenpox (Varicella) and have been in close contact with someone sick with the infection will not be allowed at school for 21 days after they
were last exposed to chickenpox, even if not sick.
COVID-19 (positive antigen or
PCR/molecular test)
Keep student home until:
• It has been at least 5 days after the first day of symptoms (or test collection date if no symptoms); AND
• It has been at least 24 hours since the student had a fever (without using fever reducing medicine); AND
• Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving
**Student should wear a well-fitting mask
for 10 days after the first day of symptoms (or date positive test was collected if no symptoms) to minimize the risk of infecting others unless an exemption to mask use applies. The student may remove their mask sooner following 2 consecutive negative tests 48 hours apart.
Diarrhea that cannot be controlled and/or has blood/mucus in it or with a fever
Keep student home. See Healthcare Provider.
Fever with oral temperature 100.4 F or higher and not feeling well enough to participate in class
Keep student home until fever-free for 24 hours without using fever reducing medicine such as Motrin or Tylenol.
Head lice
If lice are first found at school, student may stay until end of the day but may not return until treatment has been started and all live lice are gone.
Illness that prevents the student from taking part in class activities easily
Student may return to school when able to take part in activities.
Impetigo
Keep student home until 24 hours after antibiotics have been started.
MRSA
Keep student home if sore is draining and cannot be covered with a clean, dry bandage. Keep student home if they cannot keep from picking at sore.
Pertussis – (Whooping Cough)
Student should not return to school until they have finished all their antibiotics.
Pink Eye with white or yellow discharge or eye pain
Keep student home if they have a fever or are not healthy enough to participate in routine school activities. Students should be seen by healthcare provider if they have eye pain, eye sensitivity to light, blurred vision that continues after any discharge is wiped away, intense eye redness, symptoms that get worse or don’t improve, a weakened immune system, or a pre-existing eye condition.
Rash with fever or behavior change
Keep student home until seen by a healthcare provider and treated if needed.
Ringworm
If ringworm is first found at school, student may stay until end of the day if it can be covered. Student may not return until treatment has been started. Area must remain covered until completely healed.
Scabies
Student must stay home until after treatment is complete
Strep throat
Keep student home until 24 hours after antibiotics have been started.
Vomiting 2 or more times within 24 Hours
Keep student home until able to tolerate regular diet.
Dress Code
Clothing depicting offensive, violent, graphic images, or references to illegal activities are prohibited.
Outfits must not show stomach.
Tops must have fabric on the sides (under the arms) and front side (midriff) unless a student is wearing a tank top underneath.
Pajamas, slippers, blankets, onesies, and nighttime attire are prohibited unless for a special event (i.e. pajama day).
Specialized courses may require specialized attire, such as sports uniforms or safety gear.
Shorts and skirts must entirely cover the student’s bottom
Clothing must be opaque (not see-through) AND must cover undergarments and the torso. Waistbands and bra straps may be visible.
Students’ faces, including eyes must be visible; no full face coverings or sunglasses are allowed. Students with a medical or religious need to wear a face covering or sunglasses must turn in documentation to the principal’s office in order to be excluded from this policy. Students may wear medical masks for illness prevention without a doctor’s order.
Two Weeks at a Glance
THIS WEEK
Monday, April 8:
1:51 PM- 4: 24 PM Partial Solar Eclipse
4:00 PM Golf @ Chestnut Mountain
4:30 PM Baseball @ home vs. AC Reynolds
4:30 PM Softball @ home vs. AC Reynolds
Tuesday, April 9
4:00 PM Golf @ Cummings Cove
4:30 PM Girls Soccer @ AC Reynolds
5:00 PM ACS School Board Work Session @ 85 Mountain St.
Wednesday, April 10
4:30 PM Baseball @ Cane Creek
4:30 PM Softball @ Cane Creek
Thursday, April 11
4:30 PM Girls Soccer @ Cane Creek
4:30 PM Boys Soccer @ Cane Creek
5:30 PM United Way Community Night featuring HW Diner (Block Party)
Friday, April 12
4:30 PM Track @ Erwin High School
NEXT WEEK
Monday, April 15
4:00 PM Golf @ Etowah Valley
4:30 PM Baseball @ home vs. Enka
4:30 PM Softball @ home vs. Enka
4:30 Girls Soccer @ Enka
5:00 PM ACS School Board Regular Meeting @ 85 Mountain St.
Wednesday, April 17
4:30 PM Track @ Cane Creek Middle School
6:00 PM AMS PTO Meeting
Thursday, April 18
4:30 PM Baseball @ Erwin
4:30 PM Softball @ Erwin
4:30 Girls Soccer @ home vs. Erwin
5:30 PM United Way Community Night featuring HW Diner (Multicultural Family Night)
Past two weeks, but important to note-
April 25 7 PM NJHS Induction
May 24 Reading EOG
May 28 Spanish I Final Exam
May 29 Math EOG
May 30 Science EOG
June 3 Math I EOC
June 6 End of Year Honor Roll Ceremony & Celebration
June 7 9:30 AM 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony
Asheville Middle School
Email: Jo.Landreth@acsgmail.net
Website: https://nc02214494.schoolwires.net/Domain/232
Location: 211 South French Broad Avenue, Asheville, NC, USA
Phone: (828) 350-6200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avlms/
Twitter: @avlms