Good morning KMS families! Next week, our school will be participating in Say Something Week, a nationwide initiative that empowers students to look out for one another and speak up when they see warning signs of violence, bullying, or someone struggling with their emotions.

Created by Sandy Hook Promise, this program teaches students the importance of recognizing potential threats and reporting concerns to a trusted adult. Through engaging activities and discussions, students will learn how small actions—like checking in on a friend or reporting concerning behavior—can make a big difference in keeping our school community safe and supportive.

We encourage all students and families to talk about the power of speaking up and looking out for one another. Together, we can create a culture of safety, kindness, and inclusion.

For more information, visit sandyhookpromise.org.

This week we will have our last set of 3rd quarter benchmark tests. The third quarter ends this Friday, March 7th. Please see the attached flyer for the Music Booster fundraiser taking place this Thursday at Arabica in downtown Willoughby. Swing over to get your morning coffee between 7-9 am. Take advantage of the delayed start, while also raising money for our wonderful music program. Also, PTA Auction is Saturday March 15th at St. Noels. Please consider buying a ticket and attending, as the PTA is a strong supporter of our schools. More information is below in the flyer. Our Spring dance will take place on Friday, April 25 from 6 to 8pm at KMS. More information will be made available about the theme, after the Student Council decides.

Sincerely,
Mr. Race

Future Dates of Note:

Track and Field sign-ups are currently taking place in the KMS office.

• Friday, March 7 - End of 3rd Quarter
• Spring Break March 22 to March 30
• Spring Dance - April 25 from 6pm to 8pm

On Thursday, February 27 and Friday, February 28, we had three 8th grade students, Noelle Fisher, Andrew Urban, and Milan Paulic rehearse and perform with peers across 24 school districts in an honors band event.

Hello Parents!

There are a few things I would like to ask for your help with.

Students are not turning in their loaner laptops and/or chargers in a timely manner which leaves some students without a loaner when needed. Laptops are not being charged at night which is very important so that there are loaners available for students whose laptops need to go to tech.

Thank you so much for your help with this.

Mrs. Gordon

The idea for KAA came out of a series of discussions the Building Leadership Team had regarding our desire to help students who need a little assistance every so often, while also trying to hold students with high amounts of missing work accountable. Missing work can have such a profoundly negative impact on student learning and success within the classroom and we want to provide something that can help. We believe that this program is a tremendous opportunity for kids who need help getting back on track, while also supporting students that just need a bit of assistance every now and again.

All KMS students are welcome at KAA. The academic team - including teachers, parents, and administrators - has the discretion to make this program mandatory for students with excessive missing work which negatively impacts student learning and success within the classroom.

In many ways, KAA is homework help, tutoring, and general academic assistance for any KMS student in attendance. KMS students do not need to sign up for KAA. They simply need to show up with things they want to work on, sign in, and get the help they need. We are confident that this process will help these students find great success.

Location: KMS Library

Time: 7:30 - 8:30am

Day: Thursday during Delayed Start

Staff Facilitator: Mrs. Saluan

Thank you Nicole Hollopeter for putting this together.

The link provided will take you the Kirtland Middle School - Important Dates for the 24-25 school year. There are still a few things that need to be added at the end of the school year, but they will be updated in the next couple of days. My goal for the year is to be as transparent as possible to major events taking place down the road at the school. I will continue to add to the important date section of the newsletter for upcoming events, but if you are wanting to plan for things, please refer to this document.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TCl8Xmv-gALMgSvn69gqfFa83acvNE9EsObDigWkskg/edit?usp=sharing