Happy Thursday! I’m sending this week’s newsletter a bit earlier than usual because there’s a lot of important information to share with you right away.

First and foremost, congratulations to our 8th grade boys’ basketball team on winning their first playoff game yesterday against Beachwood Middle School. They’ll play at home today at 4:30, competing for a spot in the CVC championship game. If you can please come out today and support them in their last home game.

Please see below for details on upcoming events at KMS and in the Kirtland community. I’ll be sending out individual communications to the parents of our 8th grade band and choir students regarding the Life Act Suicide Prevention Presentation in March. Please note that any 8th grader who has already taken high school health has participated in this presentation.

Also, be sure to check out the PTA Auction information included below. I highly encourage you to participate if possible—our PTA does many wonderful things for our students, and this event helps make it all possible.

Finally, as we approach the end of the third quarter, please take a moment to review your student’s grades on Infinite Campus, as well as the homework board on the KMS website’s homepage. Thank you for your ongoing support; I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day and a great week ahead.

Sincerely,
Mr. Race

Future Dates of Note:

• Monday 2/17 - Presidents Day (no school)
• 2/26 and 2/27 - KMS Quarterly Exams
• 2/28 - National Honor Society - Kids Night Out 6-7pm
• 3/5 and 3/6 - KMS Quarterly Exams

Come support the 8th grade basketball team as they battle Beachwood, today, Wednesday, February 19th @ 4:30pm in the KMS Gym. This is the first round of the CVC tournament. When they win today, they will play again tomorrow.

On Friday, February 21st, the entire Kirtland High School student body will travel to West Geauga High School for the “Battle of 306” assembly. Last year we competed against West G virtually, with both schools competing in their own gyms, while viewing the other school on a projected livestream feed. This year, not only are we traveling to West G and competing in various minute-to-win-it challenges, we are competing to see which school community can purchase the most items for the Ronald McDonald House of Cleveland. This organization was chosen based on families in our community benefiting from their services, notably the Williams family.

How can you contribute? Click the following link and purchase items off the following Amazon wish list. These are high priority items that the Ronald McDonald House has identified. Again, we are competing with West G to see who can buy the most items from now until February 21st. Let's try and beat our cross-town rivals while supporting a great cause!

Battle of 306 Flyer

Kirtland Students Shine at Ohio Statehouse and Head to Nationals!

We are thrilled to celebrate Olivia Lallo, Ryan and Lexi Jackson who represented our school with distinction at the annual National Kid Inventor Day celebration at the Ohio Statehouse on Friday, January 17.

Olivia Lallo, Ryan Jackson, and Lexi Jackson wowed attendees as one of 46 young inventors invited to showcase their innovative ideas at the event hosted by the Invention League. Olivia, Ryan, and Lexi’s creativity and problem-solving skills were on full display, earning admiration from event participants and organizers alike. Together, the three students demonstrated their commitment to innovation and excellence.

The story doesn’t end there! All three students have been selected to compete at the National Kid Inventor competition this summer in Detroit, Michigan, where they will showcase their inventions on a national stage.

We are so proud of their hard work, creativity, and dedication. They are an inspiration to their peers and a testament to the incredible talent within our Kirtland Local Schools. Best of luck at nationals.

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

Please help support the Class of 2028 AfterProm fundraiser and have 28 chances to win gift cardsvariety of vendors!! How it works:

Buy 1 entry for $10 or 3 entries for $25. Your name is then entered into the daily drawing for that amount of times. Each calendar has 28 chances to win. There will be one name drawn each day. If you win your name will be returned to the raffle for another chance to win. The name chosen will win the designated prize for that particular day. Winners will be notified via the contact information provided and delivery of prize will be arranged at that time. Winners do not need to be local to win. Please see the calendar for options how to purchase or reach out to kirtlandafterprom2028@gmail.com / 216-800-5019 for more information.

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