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

Week of September 25

 We are entering the 6th week of the semester already.  Students have multiple grades in each of their classes to help communicate their learning. If a student does not complete an assignment, a 0 is entered into PowerSchool which can drastically impact their grade.  Missing assignments need to be completed as soon as possible.  Assignments more than 3 weeks late are not accepted for credit. Students check their grades on Tuesdays in S4S.  Families can also monitor their student’s progress in PowerSchool.  Please do not rely on Canvas to monitor grades.  Not all assignments are entered into Canvas, but they are all entered in PowerSchool.  Teachers are available after school in Scout Learning Lab and a late bus is available for students who need it.  We’ll be sending out 6 week progress reports and WYTOPP scores from last year next week.  Please review your student’s progress and let us know how we can help any students who are struggling. 

Our cross country, volleyball, and football teams will be concluding their seasons over the next few weeks and our first winter season will be starting soon. Wrestling and girls basketball are up next.  There is a meeting for students participating in wrestling and their families on Tuesday at 6:00 pm in the LMS library.  The girls basketball meeting is on Wednesday at 5:30 in the LMS cafeteria.  All students planning to participate in these activities and their families should attend.  Wrestling practice begins on October 2nd and the first day of girls basketball practice is on October 9th.  Students must have a current physical and signed code of conduct on file to practice or compete.  

A student's mental health directly impacts their ability to learn and quality of life.  Nationally and locally, we’ve seen a rise in the number of students living with anxiety.  As a support for families, our district is hosting a webinar about Your Child’s Anxiety on September 26th at 6:00 PM. Does your child suffer from anxiety and you don’t know how to help them? Join us to learn strategies to help you respond to your child’s anxiety. When applied these skills will help the child and parent bond, allowing the child to identify and work through their anxiety more effectively.  You can register right up to the last minute, even if you can't attend the live event. By registering, you will be added to the follow-up email list and receive a recording of the session the following day.  Use this link to register: rmd.me/zZapcqffnnj

We are looking forward to everything that’s going on at school this week and to the UW homecoming festivities this weekend.  We have home volleyball, football, and cross country this week.  Our band will be playing in the parade on Saturday morning.  We are truly fortunate to live in Laramie with all it has to offer.  Thank you for sharing your student with us.  Make it a great week.

Upcoming Events

• September 26     Wrestling meeting

• September 27     Girls basketball meeting

• September 29     Professional development- no school for students 

• October 2            Wrestling begins

• October 9            Girls basketball begins 

• October 17          Picture retakes

Week of September 11

Our first dance of the school year is this week on Tuesday in our gym from 3:05-5:00.  Admission is $5 and concessions will be available.  All students must be picked up from the dance by 5:15.  There is no school transportation available after the dance.  Only LMS students in good standing (not serving ISS or OSS) can attend our dances.  We hope to see all of our students at the dance.  It’s going to be a rocking good time.

Our student body will select officers this week.  Our halls are lined with amazing campaign posters and the candidates are working hard on their stump speeches.  Students will cast their votes on Friday and members of the Student Leadership Team will be selected by their peers to serve as President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Digital Media Representative, and as Class Representatives.  We wish all the candidates good luck on election day. 

Students received their pictures during S4S on Tuesday. All students had their picture taken.  If you didn’t order pictures and would like to, you still can do so by going to mylifetouch.com.  Students who missed picture day, or are not happy with their picture, can get a retake on October 17th. 

We face a challenging board meeting this week as our district looks for solutions to our budget situation.  We are all very passionate about supporting our students and helping them be successful.  There will be some hard decisions and conversations over the coming months.  We appreciate your feedback and support as we navigate these choppy waters.   In the end, we are all working towards the same goal of helping our students grow and develop as learners, artists, athletes, friends, and people.  Make it a great week. 

Upcoming Events

• September 12     Back to school dance

• September 13     Positive thinking day 

• September 17     Constitution Day

• September 19     Strategic plan open house 

• September 20     Pepperoni Pizza Day 

• September 23     WY Public Lands Day

• September 29     Professional development- no school for students 

• October 17          Picture retakes

Week of September 4

This month, we’re focusing on empathy and challenging students to make sure that everyone they interact with feels valued. We are partnering with families to grow and develop empathy in your student at home.  One way to do this is to generate a list of each family member’s favorite things, such as their favorite ice cream flavor or favorite thing to do. Identify any similar answers and celebrate those things you have in common. Discuss how those similarities might impact your family and your relationships. Then identify and celebrate each other’s differences. You could also brainstorm a list of 3-5 individuals you typically encounter during the day who may not receive many notes or words of affirmation or appreciation. Consider people who make your day brighter or provide a needed service, like your mail carrier, the cashier at your local store, or a neighbor. Ask each person in your family to write a note thanking that person.  You can find more resources related to empathy in this month’s CKH newsletter. 

One of the tools we are using this year to build and sustain a culture of respect and belonging at LMS is called Rhithm.  Rhithm is part of the Securly which is software we use to filter the school internet.  Students will use Rhithm in the first minute or two of each day to check in on how they are doing using emojis.  This information will show us how our students are feeling in our school as a whole. It will also help us find students who are struggling so we can offer specific support to those who may need it.  Students access Rhithm on their Chromebooks through Classlink and this minute or two will provide us with valuable information on how to best support our students. 

Hanging out with friends is one of the great parts of school.  Often students like to spend time with each other outside of school as well.  At times this requires riding a different bus home.  However, we can no longer allow students to ride home with friends without pre-arrangement from both families.   In order to facilitate this process, we request families email acsdtransportation@acsd1.org with the pertinent information by no later than 1:00 PM of the day they wish this to occur.   This will allow us the necessary time to make scheduling adjustments and notify our drivers of the changes.   Thank you for your support in making sure all of our students get home efficiently and safely.  

We will be checking eligibility for the first time this year on Thursday.  At LMS students must be passing all classes in order to travel or compete in activities.  If a student is earning a failing grade in one or more of their classes, they will be ineligible for the following Monday through Saturday. This will provide them with the time they need to get caught up. We have started Scout Learning Lab (SLL) after school for the year. Teachers and staff are available from 3:05-4:00 each school day to help students demonstrate their learning.  A late bus is available for students who attend Scout Learning Lab.  If your student needs time and support, please contact their teachers so they can participate in SLL. 

Make it a great week!

Upcoming Events

• September 12     Back to school dance

• September 13     Positive thinking day 

• September 17     Constitution Day

• September 20     Pepperoni Pizza Day 

• September 23     WY Public Lands Day

• September 29     Professional development- no school for students