Cougar Connection

It is essential that students arrive on time to school so they can be present for all instruction. The following policy will be implemented for students who arrive tardy to 1st hour:

• Teachers begin their classes at 7:51 and every late arrival creates an interruption that takes away from the learning environment - and students often miss key instructional elements when they arrive late.
• We will closely track tardies (beginning the week of August 19). When a student reaches their 4th late arrival to school a notification email will be sent to parents. On the 5th late arrival (and subsequent late arrivals) the student will be assigned a morning or afternoon detention to be served within the same week.
• The tally for tardies will reset each quarter**** (new tardies will start being tracked for 2nd quarter on Monday, October 14)

8th grade students who are interested in taking the PSAT will have the opportunity to do so in March, prior to spring break. The assessment will be given at Hilltop and interested students will need to opt in. Be on the lookout for more details that will be sent out via email after the first of the year.

Middle school is a crucial time for developing consistent attendance habits. Patterns of absenteeism can begin to emerge during these years, and once established, they can be difficult to break. When students start missing school regularly, it becomes easier to fall into a cycle of absences, which impacts their academic progress and social involvement.

We encourage families to monitor their student’s attendance closely and address any emerging patterns early. By setting expectations for consistent attendance, students can develop strong habits that will benefit them throughout their educational journey.

As we look ahead to Veterans’ Day, we’re pleased to announce that our feeder high school, Blue Valley West, will host their annual Veterans’ Day Assembly on November 12. This event is a cherished tradition, where they honor and thank the veterans in our community for their service and sacrifices.

All veterans are warmly invited, and we would be thrilled if you could share this invitation with family, friends, neighbors, so they can join. Let’s make this a memorable day to show our gratitude.

To help us prepare, please RSVP by Thursday, November 7 by following this link: RSVP Here.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Enroll in this course: https://bvusd.instructure.com/enroll/73CN87

The Family Resources Canvas Course is now available for Blue Valley families. This course is designed to help families navigate Canvas, whether beginning or looking for a reminder. Additionally, the course includes Canvas guides for Observers (the role assigned to parents).

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.

Thank you for joining our staff for Back to School Night. We were pleased to see such a great turnout and appreciate your partnership in helping launch the school year. Our staff has been hard at work creating and sharing structured expectations for our school community along with how we are going to teach and reinforce them in all settings. You may have seen our visuals or graphics during your visit. Click here to read a few points about why these are important to our school.

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.

Your LKMS PTO is seeking sponsors for our 2 fundraising events this school year. In return for your donation, your business name will be featured in our digital and print advertisements for the events. Please visit our website for the various sponsorship levels and what you receive with each level https://lakewoodmspto.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/307970.

Please email lkmsptopresident@gmail.com for questions on your 501(c)(3) donation. Thank you so much for your consideration!

The LKMS PTO is now on Facebook! Please follow us for PTO news and school information! https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565738816285&scrlybrkr=96814e09

Save the Date for Fall Cougar Night on Friday, November 8 from 6-8 PM! The theme is "Cougar Kingdom." We hope to see all of our students there!

We’re super excited to announce our upcoming Cougar Kingdom (Cougar Night) and Trivia Through the Decades, and we need YOU to help make these events a smash hit!

🏈 Cougar Kingdom ⚽ is happening on Friday, November 8th, from 6-8 PM. Students will get to play games, compete in exciting sports challenges, show off their team spirit, dance their hearts out, and create memories that will last a lifetime!

Then, gear up for Trivia Through the Decades on Thursday, November 14th, from 7-9 PM. Bring your best trivia team and compete for glory and awesome prizes!

Now Here’s How You Can Jump In & Help:

1. Be a Volunteer: We’re on the lookout for enthusiastic volunteers to help with setup, security and activities. Ready to join the fun? Click the link below to sign up!
   Volunteer Sign Up
2. Donate: We’re also accepting donations—whether it’s fun raffle items, tasty snacks or fun treats for game prizes. Every little contribution helps make these nights unforgettable! Please drop off your donations to the office by November 7th at 3 PM. Click the link to donate. Donation Sign Up

Thanks for being a vital part of the LKMS community! Together, we’ll make Cougar Night and Trivia Night an amazing success!

Please contact us with any questions at lkmscougarnight@gmail.com

On Nov. 14, students across the country will participate in Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, an annual, commemorative event that honors the courage of Ruby Bridges who made history by becoming the first Black student to integrate an all-white elementary school in New Orleans in 1960. Students across the country now walk to school on this day to commemorate her bravery and continue the important conversation about equality and inclusion. To learn more about Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, visit https://rubybridges.foundation/. We invite our LKMS students and families to walk to school on November 14th to participate in this nationwide event.

Monday, November 4

• Yearbook club in room 302 (7:30-7:45 AM)
• Diversity council in room 165 (3:00-3:30 PM)
• Homework help 3:05-4:00 (library)
• Soccer club in room 205
• Girls Basketball practice (3:00-5:00 PM)

Tuesday, November 5

• Cheer Practice 7:00-7:45 AM
• Jazz band @ 7:10 AM
• AI Club in room 161 (3:00-4:00 PM)
• Chess club in room 106 (3:00-4:00 PM)
• D&D club in the library - 6th grade (3:00-4:00 PM)
• 3D club in room 138 (3:00-4:00 PM)
• No comics club this week
• Newspaper club in room 107 (3:00-4:00 PM)
• Girls Basketball practice (3:00-5:00 PM)

Wednesday, November 6

• STUCO in room 203 (3:10-3:40 PM)
• D&D club in the library - 7th and 8th grade (3:00-4:00 PM)
• Video Game Club in Room 310 (3:10p-4:00p)
  
• Service club in room 303
• Girls Basketball practice (3:00-5:00 PM)
• Musical Audition Workshop / Parent Meeting (3:15 PM)
  

Thursday, November 7

• Jazz band @ 7:10 AM

• Homework Help in Library (3:05-4:00 PM)

• Science Olympiad in 8th Pod (3:10-4:00 PM

• Garden Club in Room 106 (3:15-4:00 PM)

• Drama Club in Room 143 (3:15-4:00 PM)

• Nail Club in Room 305 (3:00-3:45 PM)

• Girls Basketball game vs. PSMS @ home (3:25 PM)

Friday, November 8

• Girls Basketball practice (3:00-5:00 PM)

• MathCounts Club in Library (3:15p-4:00p)

• Cougar Night (6-8 PM)

These messages are sent from an unmonitored account. If you have specific questions, please email Lisa Stolper (lostolper@bluevalleyk12.org) or Dylan Owings (dowings@bluevalleyk12.org).