FALCON FLYER

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Thursday, November 7

3:25 PM Girls Basketball Games at BV North vs Leawood

Monday, November 11

3:25 PM Girls Basketball Home Games vs Blue Valley Middle

Wednesday, November 13

3:25 PM Girls Basketball Games @ BV Southwest vs Blue Valley Middle

Thursday, November 14

Middle School Orchestra Festival at BV West

Monday, November 18

5:25 PM A2 Girls Basketball Games at Pleasant Ridge vs PRMS3

Spin Pizza Restaurant Night

Wednesday, November 20

3:25 PM Girls Basketball Home Game vs Prairie Star

7:00 PM Play Performance

Thursday, November 21

7:00 PM Play Performance

Monday, November 25-Friday, November 29

NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Break

Monday, December 2

School Resumes

OTMS Families,

Thank you for all of you who were able to attend parent-teacher conferences last week. It was truly great seeing so many faces. Please remember that you may contact school staff at any time to ask questions or share concerns. Your involvement and support are critical to our students' success.

Another contributing factor in student success is attendance. Simply put, students miss learning when they are absent. Chronic absenteeism makes it difficult to maintain academic growth and can also impact a student's social development and overall mental health. Also, students who routinely arrive late to school often start the day disregulated or anxious which can impact their overall day.

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing a series of short articles about the importance of attendance and it's impact on student success. If your child is struggling with attendance and is needing additional support, please reach out to a school counselor or administrator for assistance.

Now that we've hit November, fall is here. As we approach Thanksgiving and winter breaks, please remember to notify the school if your family's travels will impact school attendance.

Thank you for the support you give to this amazing community!

Dr. Trent Stern

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.

6th grade families – Please make sure your student has a working pair of headphones they bring to school each day. They use them often in their classes. Thank you!

Hello OTMS Families! Veterans Day is quickly approaching, and we want to recognize all of our veterans. We will have our annual Veterans Day slideshow presentation and will share this with the students and staff during the lunches on Monday, 11/11. Please send the following information to Lisa Jackson at ljackson@bluevalleyk12.org by Thursday, 11/7 to be included. She will send an email confirming receipt of your information.

Name of veteran

Picture of veteran

Relationship to OTMS student

Branch of military

Position (if known)

Years of service

Thank you!

Hello OTMS! If you are interested in participating in this year's School Bee, please complete this Spelling Bee Interest Form in your ELA class Canvas Announcements by Wednesday, 11/13. This will help us productively plan for Classroom and School Spelling Bees, which will be held in person. We will host a “virtual” Classroom Spelling Bee in the library on Thursday, 12/12. Students will meet in the library during their grade-level Flex classes to take an online test using their Chromebooks and headphones. Wired headphones will be provided by Mrs. Jackson if needed. The top participants will move forward to the OTMS School Spelling Bee in January 2025.

Students, stop by the library to pick up a word list to prepare. Please complete this form by Wednesday, 11/13/2024. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Jackson, the OTMS Spelling Bee Coordinator, at ljackson@bluevalleyk12.org.

Otto N.

OTMS PTO NEWS:

PTO Calendar – upcoming events:

07 November: Spirit Wear store closes

08 November: PTO board meeting

18 November: Spin Pizza restaurant night from 4-8pm

20 November: Holiday Helper gifts cards due to OTMS

Holiday Helpers:

Be an OTMS Holiday Helper and make the Holidays brighter for several families in our school community. Sign up to donate gift cards to be given to OTMS families identified by our school administrators as needing a little extra help this Holiday Season. You can choose gift cards from grocery stores or big box stores as an easy but meaningful way to contribute to our families in need. Your contribution will allow families an opportunity to purchase gifts for their children for the Holidays. You can also sign up to donate gift wrapping and tape.

Link to Holiday Helpers Sign-up: OTMS Holiday Helpers

Second Chance! Spirit Wear store re-opens for ONE WEEK ONLY!

The first round of spirit wear orders were distributed at lunch period this week. If you missed out or can't wait to get more, here's your chance!

Cooler weather, new sports seasons, and the holidays are just ahead. There are comfy options like the BSN lightweight tee hoodie or the Bella+Canvas full-zip hoodie. Order sweatshirts, long-sleeve tees or joggers now, or grab shorts for your basketball player or track star. Show that Falcon pride with a wide variety of options in youth, adult and women's sizes!

Access the store from Nov 1st - 7th ONLY! https://bsnteamsports.com/shop/sdhjvzB3ah

A few tips for success:

When ordering, PLEASE ENTER THE STUDENT'S NAME in the CONTACT INFO first and last name fields. That is a huge help to us as we distribute orders during school lunch periods. The Payment/Billing section is where you'll enter your own name and payment information.

Pay close attention to Youth vs Adult sizing when ordering!

Most items are available in multiple colors - just click on an item to see the color options.

Staff Appreciation:

Thank you to everyone who helped PTO provide snacks and lunch for the staff during conference week. A special thank you to Shelley Meadows and Jennifer Lall for coordinating a great meal!

Save the Date – Spin Pizza restaurant night

Come out and support the OTMS PTO on Monday, November 18th from 4-8pm at Spin Pizza. Spin will donate 20% back to OTMS when you mention you are there for OTMS restaurant night! Use code ‘giveback’ when ordering online. Thank you for supporting PTO!

We're excited that we have many clubs starting soon. See the chart below for details. All are welcome to join.

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.