Week of October 30

It has been a fantastic first quarter at LMS.  Our theme for the year is “Some people want it to happen, Some people wish it would happen, Scouts make it happen” and the Scouts are making it happen. We have many things to celebrate in the classroom, in athletics, and from all areas of our school community.

We have successfully implemented ‘Away for the Day’ where all students are required to put their cell phones and other personal devices in their lockers and not access them during the school day.  Our students have done an amazing job of adjusting to this. Thank you for your support.  We’ve seen an increase in on task behavior, a decrease in student conflict, a decrease in classroom disruptions, and our office referrals for technology violations have decreased by over 50% from last year. 

Football, volleyball, and cross country have successfully completed their seasons. Over a third of our students participated in a fall activity.  Football and volleyball competed well during the conference season earning many wins. Cross country continued to dominate, remaining undefeated in the state of Wyoming for the last four years and winning all four conference championships!  Girls basketball and wrestling are underway and approximately 25% of our students are participating in those activities.  Wrestling is looking to defend their conference championship from last year and basketball is looking salty on the hardwood. 

Our Scouts are taking care of business in the classroom.  We check students’ grades each week and the number of students earning a failing grade is down 14% from last year.  Our attendance has also improved 2% compared to the first quarter of last year.  That may not sound like a lot, but that means that collectively students have been in school over 700 more days this quarter.  That’s huge!  Thank you for helping your student get to school on time and ready to learn every day. We are also very proud of our WYTOPP scores from last year.  We are 10% over the state average in all tested areas. 

While we are happy with our achievements, we are always looking to improve.  To that end, we have two school improvement goals we are focusing on this year.  Our school improvement goals are to provide systematic intervention and extension (I/E) for all students in all classes and to to improve our students’ perception of school. These are our areas of focus because providing I/E ensures that all students master essential topics and are challenged and students who feel welcomed, included, and supported at school perform better and feel better. You can read more about our goals and our plans to reach them in the LMS School Improvement plan. 

Tomorrow is Halloween and we are excited to celebrate and costumes are permitted. Students need to dress in a way that permits them to actively participate in learning and doesn't distract from the learning of others. Please watch the video below for more information:

Thank you so much for sharing your student with us.  We are honored to have them in our building and to partner with you in their education.  We’re looking forward to the rest of this school year and continuing to make it happen. 

Upcoming Events   

• November 6        No school-offices closed

• November 7        No school- professional development

• November 13 Kindness Day

• November 22-24 No School

Week of October 23

Fall conferences are on Wednesday and Thursday.  At LMS conferences are either by appointment or we have some time blocked out where families can drop in and talk to teachers who are available. On Wednesday, students will be dismissed at 11:23 and teachers will be preparing for conferences to begin at 3:30.  Teachers will be available for appointments from 3:30-7:00 and for drop-ins from 7:00-7:30.  On Thursday, teachers will be available for appointments from 8:00-10:00 and 11:00-6:00 Teachers will be available for drop-ins from 10:00-11:00 and 6:00-7:00 on Thursday.  There is no school on Friday for students or staff. All appointments are made through PTCFast. Please use this link to sign up for conferences. PTCFast will close at noon on Wednesday.  If you need to make an appointment after noon on Wednesday, please contact your student’s teachers directly or stop by during the drop in times.  Drop-ins are on a first come, first served basis. 

Our Mental Health Team will be available in the library during conferences. They will have information on different topics that may be helpful for you or your student such as social media, anxiety, communicating with your child, substance use, sleep, and middle school life. They can also point you in the right direction for additional community supports. There will also be coats available so you can be ready for the cold weather. We hope everyone will come by to talk with them, ask questions, or obtain information on additional resources during conferences.

We are doing a good job as a school this year as it relates to attendance. Thank you! I know with a short week it can be tempting to miss a day or two to extend a break.  While there are times that absences can’t be avoided, please continue to do your best to have your student in school every day ready to learn.  Each day really counts. 

Our friends at Laramie Interfaith are providing Thanksgiving meals to families in need again this year.  If you would like to sign up for a meal, please use this link.  If you’d like to learn more about Laramie Interfaith, or to find out how you can support them, please visit their website: https://www.laramieinterfaith.org/ 

Upcoming Events   

• October 25-26     Fall conferences

• October 27          No school

• November 6        No school

• November 7        No school- professional development

Week of October 16

Fall conferences are coming up on October 25th and 26th.  At LMS conferences are either by appointment or we have some time blocked out where families can drop in and talk to teachers who are available. On Wednesday the 25th, students will be dismissed at 11:23 and teachers will be preparing for conferences to begin at 3:30.  Teachers will be available for appointments from 3:30-7:00 and for drop-ins from 7:00-7:30.  On Thursday, the 26th, teachers will be available for appointments from 8:00-10:00 and 11:00-6:00 Teachers will be available for drop-ins from 10:00-11:00 and 6:00-7:00 on the 26th.  There is no school on Friday, the 27th. All appointments will be made through PTCFast which will open on Monday, the 16th. Please use this link to sign up for conferences. Drop-ins are on a first come, first served basis. We hope to see everyone at conferences. 

This Friday, October 20th, is an early release day for the elementary schools in our district.  It is a regular day at LMS and LHS. Students will be dismissed at our normal time of 3:05 on Friday.  We are looking forward to a productive and engaging week at LMS. 

Picture retakes are on Tuesday.  If students were absent and did not get their picture taken, they will have their picture taken on Tuesday.  If your student is not satisfied with their first picture, then they can have it retaken on Tuesday.  Please have them bring their original pictures with them if they are having a retake done.  Pictures can be ordered online by visiting mylifetouch.com.  Our picture day ID is EVT448FW8.

Our friends at Laramie Interfaith are providing Thanksgiving meals to families in need again this year.  If you would like to sign up for a meal, please use this link.  If you’d like to learn more about Laramie Interfaith, or to find out how you can support them, please visit their website: https://www.laramieinterfaith.org/ 

Upcoming Events   

• October 16-20     National School Bus Safety Week 

• October 17          Picture retakes

• October 18          National Cupcake Day

• October 25-26     Fall conferences

• October 27          No school

Week of October 9

We have passed the 6 week mark of the first semester.  We sent out 6 week reports to all families along with last year's WYTOPP reports on Tuesday.  We are very proud of our WYTOPP results from last year.  We are 11% higher than the state average in ELA and 14% higher than the state average in math.  We appreciate all of the hard work our students, teachers, and families put in last year and we’re looking forward to doing even better this year. 

When you receive your student's progress report and WYTOPP results, please review them together, celebrate, and identify any areas for improvement.  Teachers and staff are available to assist students after school in Scout Learning Lab Monday-Thursday and a late bus is available on those days.  We are all here to help your student be successful. 

Fall conferences are coming up on October 25th and 26th.  At LMS conferences are either by appointment or we do have some times blocked out where families can drop in and talk to teachers who are available. On Wednesday the 25th, students will be dismissed at 11:23 and teachers will be preparing for conferences to begin at 3:30.  Teachers will be available for appointments from 3:30-7:00 and for drop-ins from 7:00-7:30.  On Thursday, the 26th, teachers will be available for appointments from 8:00-10:00 and 11:00-6:00 Teachers will be available for drop-ins from 10:00-11:00 and 6:00-7:00 on the 26th.  There is no school on Friday, the 27th. All appointments will be made through PTCFast which will open on Monday, the 16th.  Drop-ins are on a first come, first served basis. We hope to see everyone at conferences. 

Mr. Jared Krysl, 8th grade science teacher, was honored as the ACSD1 District Teacher of the Year on Monday night at a banquet hosted by the Wyoming Department of Education in Casper.  Mr. Krysl is pictured below with Senator Barrasso and State Superintendent Megan Degenfelder.  Way to lead from the middle Mr. Krysl!

We are partnering with the University of Wyoming to study the benefits of physical exercise on academic performance and mood among middle and high school students with and without ADHD. Students’ participation in this study will help researchers understand the effects of exercise on cognitive functioning. If you and your student decide to participate, your student will be asked to attend three in-person sessions before school where they will exercise on a stationary bike. Then, students will complete some verbal and computer tasks. You will be asked to complete a short online survey at three time points during the study.  We invite you and your student to participate. Please contact the study director, Meisa Khaireddin, under the supervision of Dr. Cynthia Hartung at uwyoall@gmail.com or call 307-316-4783 if you are interested.  You can learn more about this study here. 

Upcoming Events

• October 9            Girls basketball begins 

• October 16-20     National School Bus Safety Week 

• October 17          Picture retakes

• October 18          National Cupcake Day

• October 25-26     Fall conferences

• October 27          No school

Week of October 2

It's homecoming week!  We are celebrating with dress up days, athletic events, and a special visit from the LHS band and spirit squad.  Our dress up days are: 

• Monday: Socks with Sandals
• Tuesday: Adam Sandler Day
• Wednesday: Hat Day ($1 donation required)
• Thursday: Barbie/Pink Day
• Friday: Sports Day

It's October and this month, we’re challenging students to envision future goals and take intentional steps toward who they want to be. We are partnering with families to grow and develop their student's ability to self-direct. We can model self-direction by celebrating the positive in each day, seeking the good in others, and emphasizing our responsibility to make positive choices. Self-direct your thoughts and share Good Things as a family each day. After school, around the dinner table, or before bed, ask each family member to share something good from the day. We often see what we seek. Let’s focus on finding the good. You can read more about this month's theme in the October CKH newsletter. 

Friday is the 6 week mark of the first semester.  We will be sending out 6 week reports to all families along with last year's WYTOPP reports.  Please review your student's progress with them, celebrate, and identify any areas for improvement.  Teachers and staff are available to assist students after school in Scout Learning Lab Monday-Thursday and a late bus is available on those days.  Fall conferences are coming up on October 25th and 26th as well. Please let us know how we can partner with you in support of your student.

Our last task this week is clearing out the lost and found.  We've set a record for how quickly it has filled up this year.  Please see the picture below so you know what I'm talking about.  At the end of the week, all items will be cleared out of the lost and found and donated or disposed of. Please encourage your student to look in the lost and found and claim any of their missing items.  Make it a great week!

Upcoming Events

• October 2            Wrestling begins

• October 2 National Custodian Appreciation Day

• October 6 6 week reports

• October 9            Girls basketball begins 

• October 17          Picture retakes

• October 25-26 Fall conferences

• October 27 No school