MTMS Wolf Wire

January 12, 2024

MT's purpose is to educate and empower students to become responsible citizens

Important Dates

MTMS Mark You Calendars

January 15 - NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Boys Basketball

January 16 - 7th grade @ Wheatridge

January 16 - 8th grade vs Wheatridge

January 18 - 7th grade vs Basehor

January 18 - 8th grade @ Basehor

PTA

January 29 - Kansas's Birthday Celebration at Urban Air Event 4-8pm

February 8 - Papa John’s All DAY

A Few Words from the Principal

Happy New Year!

The weather has not been cooperating with us much lately. I hope everyone is staying safe and warm.

During our professional development the staff of MT revisited our mission statement: The purpose of Monticello Trails Middle School is to educate and empower students to become responsible citizens.

As a staff we wanted to clarify what our mission statement means by defining the key terms:

Citizen – An informed and active member of their community at the local, national, and/or global level, who productively contributes.

Empower – Give them a sense of autonomy and the tools to make responsible decisions, as well as the mindset that they can succeed and be proud.

Responsible – In charge of your own behaviors and outcomes.

We look forward to the numerous activities this semester that will educate and empower our students while building skills to help them be responsible citizens here at MT, in their community, and in the world.

Take care,

Jennifer Smith

Principal

Career Exploration Day - Your help needed!

MTMS will have a career exploration day on the morning of March 8. We need your help to make this day a success.

We are looking for individuals to share with our student scholars about their careers on the morning of Friday, March 8. Our goal is to provide our scholars the chance to learn about a variety of opportunities for their future as they prepare to make their course selections for the 2024-2025 school year. If you or someone you know would be willing to share during a short small group presentation, please complete the information on the form linked below. We will provide more details about the day to those who respond. We look forward to partnering with you.

Career Exploration Day Presenter Form

Thank you for supporting our scholars by completing this form. If you have questions or need additional information please reach out to Principal Smith at jrsmith@usd232.org.

Water Only

Students who bring drinks other than water to school will be asked to finish it in the commons or throw it away. We have seen an increased number of sodas and Starbucks being brought to school and several have been spilt in the gym, halls, or lockers. We want to keep the school looking nice and keep the mice out. Help us by only taking water into the halls, gym, and lockers.

Lost and Found

We have several water bottles and some clothes that found their way into the lost and found last semester. Please encourage your student to check to see if any of their belongings have landed in the lost and found. Any item not claimed by next Friday, January 9 will be donated.

From Student Council

StuCo is raising money for Children's Mercy Hospital. During lunch on Friday, January 19, students may purchase duct tape for $1 a foot and stick it to three of their favorite 6th, 7th, and 8th grade teachers. The goal is to tape them head to toe to a pole in the cafeteria and leave them stuck. You can participate by bringing in your dollars. Let's have some fun while raising money for a great cause!

From the Yearbook Staff

Greetings from the MT Yearbook Staff!

As we capture the memories of this school year, we are excited to showcase how MT students stayed warm and spent their time during those delightful snow and cold days off from school. From sledding, shoveling, sharing laughs over some hot cocoa, to hanging with friends, binge-watching shows and playing video games, we would love to include your photos.

A big thank you to the parents and students who have already shared photos with us! Your contributions are truly appreciated. However, we are still in need of a few more snapshots to complete our collection:

Wrestling Wonders: We would love to feature a couple more wrestling photos in the yearbook. If you have action shots, or candid moments, please send them our way.
7th and 8th Grade Winter Social: We're also on the lookout for photos from the 7th and 8th grade winter social. If you have pictures capturing the fun and camaraderie of the event, we would be thrilled to include them in our yearbook memories.
Cheerleaders: If you have any cheerleading photos showcasing the energy, enthusiasm, and team spirit of our cheerleaders, we would love to feature them in our yearbook. Whether it's dazzling routines, spirited performances, or candid behind-the-scenes moments, we want to capture the joy and vibrancy that cheer brings to our school.

Click HERE to upload your photos. Don't forget to include a brief description or caption for each photo.

Your contributions make the yearbook a true reflection of our school community, and we can't wait to see the amazing moments you've captured. Thank you for helping us create lasting memories!

Warm regards,

The 2024 Yearbook Staff

From Nurse K.

Hearing and Vision 7th Grade

7th grade students will have their hearing and vision tested during their PE class. Please have your student wear their glasses/ contacts on PE days. After screening of all students is completed (usually takes about 1 month), the students who were screened will be given a letter with the results to take home to parents. You can also view results in Skyward under the Health tab, change display option to Show Tests. If you have questions please contact the school nurse. If your student failed the screening you will also receive an e-mail.

Illness, Covid and Influenza (the Flu)

Please report any symptoms of illness to the school.

Please be specific- report symptoms such as sore throat, nausea, and fever instead of reporting “ill” or “sick”. Giving symptoms helps with Health Department Reporting and to see illness trends at MTMS and in the district.

The transition to chillier weather often comes hand-in-hand with cold and flu season, but healthy habits can help protect everyone from getting or spreading germs. As we enter cold and flu season, we appreciate you encouraging these healthy habits with your children.

If you have a child who is sick, we ask for your support by keeping them at home. Students and staff must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication, and free of vomiting and/or diarrhea for 24 hours before returning to school.

· If your student is diagnosed with Influenza (“the Flu”) or with COVID, they must remain at home for 5 days from the onset of illness, with return on day 6.

· If you have questions about your student’s health, please contact your school nurse. Additional information regarding health and wellness is available on the district website.

· Remind your child of important preventative measures for any illness, such as coughing into the sleeve, frequently washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and getting plenty of rest and fluids.

Illness and Covid policy can be found by clicking on the following links:

https://www.usd232.org/Domain/4076

https://www.usd232.org/Page/3195

From PTA

Restaurant/Business Givebacks:
Timberwolves, Happy 2024! We hope that second semester is off to a great start! Thanks to your fantastic support, we’ve been able to come together with our local business partners to raise over $4500 first semester to enrich the education of our scholars while uplifting our amazing staff and school! THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!

You’re invited to celebrate Kansas’ 163rd birthday with us at Urban Air Lenexa on Monday 1/29 from 4-8pm! 20% of regularly priced platinum and ultimate tickets will benefit MTMS PTA. *Pogo Passes not valid. Feel free to reach out to Andrea Lerner with questions at (620)757-0349.

ANGST: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety

USD 232 has partnered with the USD 232 Education Foundation to host a special screening of the documentary ANGST: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety on Angst on January 25, 2024 from 7:00-8:30 PM at De Soto High School. This is an impactful film-based program designed specifically to raise awareness around anxiety, with an emphasis on youth and families. The screening will also include an interactive paneled discussion with two local psychologists as well as participation from two USD 232 social workers immediately following the documentary presentation. The documentary is appropriate for ages 10 and up.

Here is the link to register: ANGST Documentary Screening and Interactive Panel Discussion

For more information regarding this event, check out the district homepage > https://bit.ly/3LIQVKq