AMS Hornet News

From The Principal's Desk

I am always shocked with how quickly summer goes. It seems like we were just having our clap out for our 8th graders and now it is nearly time to welcome everyone back to the halls of AMS. When students return to the building, they will notice some changes! Our office is completely remodeled, we have new furniture in many places throughout the building, and we have some new faces on staff.

Matthew Moore joins our AMS team as the new assistant principal. Matt spent the previous 12 years as the assistant principal at Kearsley High School. He will be a great asset to our team!

School starts for students on August 26 and it is a half day.

Please visit our Kearsley Community Schools website and our AMS building page for a variety of helpful information. Suggested supplies are listed there. Here is the back to school information.

Sixth grade and new student orientation will take place on August 20 at 11:00 and repeats at 6:00. Please plan to report to the gym for a brief presentation and then the building will be open for you to walk around so that the students can become familiar with the layout of our school. These sessions will last approximately an hour.

Schedules will be available in StudentVue and ParentVue after August 9 and once you have fully completed the annual renewal process.

Open House for all students is August 27 from 6:00-7:00. This is a time for students to show their families around the school and for parents / guardians to meet the AMS staff.

Your presence and support mean so much to us, and we cannot wait to see our hallways filled with the energy and enthusiasm of our students again. Here's to a fantastic year of learning and growing together!

Your partner in education,

Lisa Oetting

Welcome to Our New AMS Staff!

Please help me extend a warm welcome to the following people who are joining our certified staff this year!

Matt Moore, Assistant Principal (photo included)

Ashlyn Dotson, Counselor

Jolie Timm, ELA

Sierra Walker, ELA / Special Education

Sara Prosch, Science

Michelle Drotar, Math

Joshua Fox, Physical Education

Chase Smith, Physical Education / Health

Kathryn Waterson, Art

Kalsie Mathews, Special Eduction

Some Important AMS Expectations

We value present learners so there will be no cell phones in our classrooms. They should be turned off and stored in students' backpacks in lockers. They may be used at lunch only.

Safety comes first at AMS. Hoods and hats should be removed upon entering the building. Backpacks can be brought to school, but should be left in the student’s locker. There will be no bags, purses, or backpacks in classrooms.
We want to have orderly halls. Students should walk in the hallways, enter all classrooms from the main hallway, and use a quiet voice.
Feeling welcome and treated with respect is top priority. We want everyone to be respectful and kind when they are at AMS. Rudeness, vulgarity, harassment, racism, bullying, and disrespect have no place at AMS. We are working toward becoming an endorsed "No Place for Hate" school.
A dress code is important because it helps maintain a focused, respectful, and professional learning environment, encouraging students to take their education seriously. Our code of conduct is on the Kearsley website.
Attendance and timeliness matter at AMS! Please know that school starts at 7:30 and dismisses at 2:20. Students can enter the cafeteria at 7:10 if they are dropped off in the morning. Busses will unload at 7:20. Being on time to all classes is very important.

Schedule

Below you will find the links to our hourly schedule and school calendar for Armstrong MS. We do have bells that indicate the beginning and ending of each period, as well as a one-minute warning bell.

Calendar 2024-2025

Daily Schedule

Important Dates

August 20 6th Grade Orientation @11:00 and 6:00

August 22 Family Movie Night @7:00

August 26 First Day of School (Half Day)

August 27 Open House @6:00

August 30 No School

September 2 No School

September 27 No School

September 30 Progress Reports Emailed

October 2 Count Day

October 4 Homecoming

October 9 Early Release

October 29 Harvest Festival

October 30 End MP 1

October 31 No School

November 1 No School

Transportation

Bus Routes

My Ride K-12

We are excited to introduce “My Ride K-12,” a parent communication app, to our transportation operations by Tyler Technologies.

Using this one-of-a-kind mobile app, you will have access to your student's bus number, driver's name, bus stops and pick up & drop off times. In addition, on the app, you will be able to see the approximate location of the bus on the route.

Kearsley’s transportation department can send notifications, through the phone app, of changes that may impact your student's route.

Volunteering at Kearsley

Kearsley encourages active participation in district activities and committees by parents/guardians.

We know our families trust us each day to ensure the safety of their students. This is a responsibility we don’t take lightly. As part of our ongoing commitment to school safety, our district requires volunteers who work with our children to undergo a criminal history background check.

These are conducted through the Michigan State Police iChat system and are designed to screen for any past behavior or criminal history that may pose a risk to children. The checks include criminal record checks, sex offender registry searches, and other relevant screenings.

Please be assured that this process is conducted with complete confidentiality. The information obtained is used solely for the purpose of ensuring the safety and well-being of our students.

Background checks MUST take place when volunteers are responsible for supervision of students and have regular contact with other students. Examples would be: