Week of December 17

The final week of school for 2018 is upon us.  As we look forward to the opportunities of a new year, it is also a time to reflect on the passing year.  The LMS staff is thankful that you are sharing your student with us and for your continued support.  We relish the opportunity to work with your student to develop new skills, reach their goals, and to help them become better students, friends, siblings, and people in 2019.  Our theme: Respect is earned, Honesty is appreciated, Trust is gained, Scouts are forever will continue to frame our collective work in the coming year.  With your continued support, we are looking forward to putting in the work to fulfill the spirit contained within our theme.

All teachers will be working with our friends from the Laramie Police Department after school this Wednesday to review and update our safety procedures.  This is part of a coordinated effort between the District and LPD.  All ACSD#1 schools are engaging in this training.  Due to this commitment, there will be no Scout Learning Lab or late bus after school this Wednesday.  Students should go home directly after school on Wednesday.

This Friday is our third spirit day for December as we are celebrating ugly sweater day.  Students and staff will be showing their school and holiday spirit by rocking their tackiest holiday sweater.  The class with the best participation will earn points towards the Scout Cup.  Encourage your Scout to show out on Friday with the best, or worst, sweater in Laramie.

Our attendance goal for the school year is 95%.  In November our attendance was 92.8%.  Please help us reach our goal by having your student in school, on time, ready to learn every day possible.  I know it can be tempting to add a day or two onto a break, but those days add up over the course of a school year and there is no substitute for first time instruction.  Friday will be a regular 'all' day and students will be dismissed at 3:00.  Thank you for supporting your student by having them attend school all week.

Upcoming Events: 

• December 17                 Boys basketball informational meeting
• December 21                 Ugly sweater day
• December 24                 Winter break begins
• January 7                       Classes resume after winter break 
• January 18                     End of the first semester 

Week of December 10

We are sprinting towards the winter break.  The last day of classes for 2018 is Friday, December 21st.  The 21st is a full day of school and students will be dismissed at 3:00.  It's also time for our next activity changeover.  Girls basketball and wrestling are finished and boys basketball and nordic skiing are beginning.  Boys basketball is open to 7th and 8th grade students.  Open gym is being held on the 12th, 13th, 17th, and 20th from 3:00-4:15.  The informational meeting is on December 17th at 5:30 in the LMS cafeteria.  Nordic skiing is open to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students and practice is underway.  Skiers meet in the cafeteria after school.

Mrs. Heggie's cooking class recently competed in their annual cake decorating contest.  All of the cakes were fantastic and it was inspiring to see what the students created.  LMS students are very talented and that was evident in their cakes.  We'd like to congratulate all of the students who participated and we thank them for their hard work.  A special congratulations to the bakers of the first place entry 'Rocking Around the Christmas Tree'.  Great job Aubrey Howells, Libby Goodspeed, and Dalia Franco!

Our winter spirit days continue this week with Flannel Friday.  All members of the LMS community are encouraged to rock their favorite flannel this Friday to show their school spirit and fight off the winter blues.  The grade will the most participation will earn points towards the Scout Cup.

It's never too early to think about ordering your copy of the LMS Scout.  Yearbooks are $40 and can be ordered on yearbookforever.com  Be sure to claim your copy of this award winning publication before they sell out.  Scouts are forever, but the number of yearbooks is limited.  Don't be left out in the cold, order today.

Upcoming Events: 

• December 10                 Wyoming Day
• December 17                 Boys basketball informational meeting
• December 24                 Winter break begins
• January 7                       Classes resume after winter break 
• January 18                     End of the first semester 

Week of December 3

It's hard to believe that December is here.  The school year is certainly flying by.  We are excited for an engaging, challenging, and fulfilling three weeks leading up to the end of 2018.  Winter break feels like a natural halfway point in the year, and psychologically it is.  However, the first semester actually ends on January 18th.  The two weeks after we return from winter break are crucial for consolidating learning and ending the first half of the academic year strong. Finishing on a high note sets students up for success in the second semester.  We understand that there are family obligations and other things that make adding a day or two on either side of a break tempting.  We ask that you have your student in school as much as possible as we continue to Strive for Five, where students have 5 or less absences for the school year.  There is no replacement for first time instruction and developing solid attendance habits in middle school set students up for success in high school and beyond.  If at all possible, please have your student plan to attend every class between now and the end of the day on the 21st.

Last week we addressed a situation in our PE locker rooms where bed bugs could have potentially been present.  We had the locker rooms professionally assessed and heat treated and they are now ready for use .  The service provider we contracted with also has dogs that are trained to detect the presence of bed bugs.  We will be following up with this intervention in January to help ensure that our locker rooms remain pest free.  We realize that our response to this situation could be improved and we are taking steps to deliver better customer service in the unlikely event of any recurrence. We apologize for the inconvenience and frustration you may have experienced as we dealt with this situation. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Kevin via email or at 721-4430.

The LMS student leadership team is building a float for this Friday's downtown parade of lights.  They are excited to show our school and community spirit.  This is the latest activity coordinated by the student leadership team to show school pride and to build connections with the broader community.  They are planning additional family nights in the coming months with potential themes such as an escape room and chili cook-off. Please keep an eye on this blog and the LMS calendar for information on upcoming events.

Upcoming Events: 

• December 7                   Laramie parade of lights
• December 24                 Winter break begins
• January 7                       Classes resume after winter break 
• January 18                     End of the first semester