Week of September 23

We are starting off our sixth week of school already!  It's hard to believe how fast the time is going.  Students do not have classes today due to professional development.  We are learning about computational thinking and how it relates to all subject areas.  We hope to see all of our students and families at Laramie High School from 6:00-7:00 for the Ignite My Future family night.  Students of all ages and their families are encouraged to attend.

Picture retakes are on Tuesday, October 1st.  All students who wish to have their pictures retaken should bring their pictures to exchange for new ones at no additional charge.  Pictures will be arriving this week. Student who missed the original picture day will have their pictures taken on the 1st.  You can order pictures by going to mylifetouch.com.  Our picture day ID is CG219392Y0. 

Math Counts, the LMS competitive math team, begins practice on Tuesday the 24th.  Practice runs from 3:15-4:15 and all LMS students are eligible to participate.  Our team has been very successful over the last few years (State Champs!).  We encourage interested math-letes to report to the cafeteria after school on Tuesday.

If you're reading this blog, you're probably already up to speed with what's happening at LMS.  But just in class, I'd like to encourage you  to follow the LMS and LMS PTO Facebook pages.

Upcoming Events

• 9/23:   Ignite My Future family night
• 10/1:   Picture retakes 
• 10/21: Family night 
• 10/23: Fall conferences 
• 10/25: No school 

Week of September 16

There is no school for students next Monday, September 23rd due to professional development.  LMS staff will be engaged in a day of learning with Discovery Education and TATA Consultancy called Ignite My Future.  Families are invited and encouraged to attend the Ignite My Future family night from 6:00-7:30 at Laramie High School next Monday.  During these 90 minutes of hands-on family activities you will learn, innovate, and explore. There are free resources for families to encourage real-world problem solving at home, and folks will have the chance to interact with drones, robots, and other interactive experiences.  We hope everyone will have a chance to attend the Ignite My Future family night.

One of things students really enjoy about middle school are the a la carte options at lunch. Students can purchase a variety of items such as ice cream, chips, and cookies in addition to their lunch.  As you can imagine, these items are quite popular.  Students can bring in cash for a la carte or use the money in their lunch account. We encourage families to monitor their students' lunch accounts to make sure that that are comfortable with the amount of money being spent on extra items.  Students can't get a negative balance by purchasing a la carte items, but they can spend down their account faster than anticipated.  No a la carte items are included with a student's lunch. Please keep an eye on your student's account balance through Powerschool. 

Learning another language is fun and a valuable skill.  The district is offering free Spanish classes to anyone who is interested.  Please use this link to find out more information.

Upcoming Events

• 9/20:   Vaccination deadline
• 9/23:   No school-professional development
• 9/23:   Ignite My Future family night
• 10/1:   Picture retakes 
• 10/21: Family night 
• 10/23: Fall conferences 

Week of September 9

Last week was an amazing one concluding with our first dance on Friday.  It was the best attended dance in recent memory and the students did an amazing job.  Special thanks to Mr. Miller and the Student Leadership Team for organizing the dance and to all of our chaperones.  A picture of the rocking dance action is below. Please keep an eye on the LMS events calendar for upcoming dances and let me know if you'd like to chaperone.  The mountain bikes we received through the Outride grant also arrived last week.  Please see the picture of our bikes below.  Our PE teachers are excited to integrate these awesome bikes into their classes.  

At LMS our fundamental purpose is student learning.   In support of our purpose, the Scout Learning Lab (SLL) is available to provide the time and support for students to complete work deficiencies and to gain understanding of the necessary concepts required for mastery of content. A deficiency might include, but is not limited to, incomplete or failed assignments, projects, or any assigned task important to the learning process.  SLL will be available before school, after school, during lunch, and on designated Saturday mornings.  We are committed to partnering with parents and students to ensure academic excellence.  Please click on the link above to learn more about SLL and to see this year's dates for Saturday SLL. 

Unfortunately vaping is a problem facing our young people.  Nicotine is highly addictive and many see vaping as a safe alternative to cigarettes.  Vaping devices are intentionally designed to look like innocent materials such as flash drives and pens.  The exhaled vapor is harder to detect than traditional cigarettes and the flavored juices make vaping accessible to students.  Please talk to your student about vaping and be on the look out for devices.  It's unsafe, illegal, and dangerous.  Here is a link to some recent articles on the dangers of vaping. 

Upcoming Events

• 9/9:     September PTO meeting 
• 9/20:   Vaccination deadline
• 9/23:   No school-professional development
• 10/1:   Picture retakes 
• 10/21: Family night 
• 10/23: Fall conferences 

Week of September 2

Another great week is underway at LMS and we are off to a roaring start.  Cross country, football, and volleyball all have their first competition this week.  The students and coaches have been working hard and we are looking forward to seeing them in action.  Please remember that academic eligibility is checked weekly for students in activities.  We will check grades this Friday and students who are earning failing grades will not be able to compete until all of their grades are above passing.

The deadline for vaccinations is quickly approaching.  Wyoming statute requires all students to be current on their vaccinations to attend school.  The vaccination deadline is 30 calendar days after the start of school which is Friday, September 20th.  For more information regarding vaccination requirements, including information on vaccination waivers, please visit the Wyoming Department of Health.  Students who are not current on their vaccinations may be excluded from school after the 20th.

The first dance of the school year is this Friday, September 6th from 3:00-5:00.  Admission is $4 and concessions will be available.  All middle school students who are in good standing are encouraged to attend.  In order to be in good standing, a student cannot be suspended on Friday.  We are always looking for chaperones.  If you would like to chaperone, please email me or call the school at 721-4430.  If your student attends the dance, please pick them up, or make other arrangements, so they can leave the school promptly at 5:00.

All students had their pictures taken last Tuesday.  If you would still like to order pictures, you can do so by visiting mylifetouch.com and using our picture day code. (CG219392Y0)  Retakes are on  Tuesday, October 1st for those students who missed picture day or would like to get an even better picture.

Upcoming Events

• 9/6:     First dance
• 9/9:     September PTO meeting 
• 9/20:   Vaccination deadline
• 9/23:   No school-professional development
• 10/1:   Picture retakes 
• 10/23: Fall conferences