Dear KMS Parents, Students, and Staff,

Good afternoon, KMS! We’ve had another fantastic couple of weeks at our school. As the fall season wraps up, I want to shift our focus to girls' basketball, wrestling, and boys' basketball seasons. Starting tomorrow, there will be a sign-up sheet for girls' basketball in the main office for all female athletes interested in trying out. I will also place a sign-up sheet for the wrestling team. Please note that the boys' basketball season will begin after the girls' season concludes, so I will share information about their tryouts as soon as it becomes available.

As a reminder, tomorrow our eighth-grade students will take the PSAT from approximately 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. After testing, they will have lunch before heading to Round 1 in Mentor for an opportunity to relax and bowl with their peers. All permission slips have already been sent home. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Vitatoe or me.

On Wednesday, October 16, our seventh and eighth graders will travel to Andrew Osborne Academy to hear an informational speech by Chris Herren. I sent an email to all seventh and eighth-grade parents via Infinite Campus Messenger yesterday. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me. Additionally, there will be a community presentation for all parents and interested community members that evening at 6:00 p.m. This presentation will provide parents with insights into what Chris presented to the students earlier in the day. It is free and open to the public, hosted by AOA.

Picture retakes will be this Friday, October 18 starting at 7:30am at KMS

Quarterly benchmark assessments are now complete, and students began their second-quarter rotation classes today. Final grades are due by Wednesday, October 16, at 3:00 p.m., and should be available in Infinite Campus by the end of the day on Friday. Next week, we will be hosting a grade-level penny war to support hurricane relief for those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. All contributions will go to the American Red Cross, so please bring in your pennies or spare change! More details will be shared in class.

Our first wellness challenge, Hydration Month, is off to a great start! I encourage all students and staff to aim for at least six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily while reducing sugary drink consumption. Students who wish to participate are tracking their daily intake during grade-level advisory, and at the end of the month, they will be rewarded for their efforts.

We are excited to announce that the school dance is officially scheduled for Friday, October 25, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Please click on the link below to donate snacks and beverages; we greatly appreciate all contributions. KMS Halloween Sign-up Genius The cost of admission is $10, and Student Council will sell presale tickets during lunch and at the door on the night of the event. Presale tickets will be available starting Monday, October 21. Please note that full face masks are prohibited, but face paint is allowed.

Coming soon, we will be launching a student-created newsletter titled “Keeping Up with KMS!” This newsletter will showcase the various activities our KMS students are involved in, both in and out of school. The newsletter will be entirely student-produced, with my role limited to ensuring the content is appropriate and has proper consent. I’m excited for my eighth graders who proposed this idea and believe a newsletter will be a great alternative to a social media platform. Please keep an eye out for their first edition coming soon!

Finally, I will be sending out surveys to parents, teachers, and students regarding the new KMS schedule, class offerings, and changes this year. Your feedback is invaluable, so please take a few moments to complete the surveys that apply to you. Our goal as a staff is to create a welcoming, fun, safe, and educational learning environment where students look forward to coming to school every day. We will carefully consider your feedback and make necessary changes to ensure every student is proud to be a KMS Hornet.

Thank you for your continued support, and here’s to a great couple of weeks ahead!

Sincerely,

Mr. Race

[email protected]

Week of October 14

Tuesday, October 15

• 8th Grade PSAT / 8th grade field trip to Round 1.

Wednesday, October 16

• Woman Safe: Healthy Relationships - Day 1 (Health Class Only) - 1st period
• 7th & 8th Field Trip to Andrews Osborne Academy - Herren Talk Presentation (8:45 to 11:00 am)

Thursday, October 17

• Woman Safe: Healthy Relationships - Day 2 (Health Class Only) - During 2nd Advisory
• KMS Honor Club Meeting 2:45 - 3:15

Friday, October 18

• Picture Retakes

Week of October 21

Wed/Thurs, October 23 & 24 Life Act Presentations (Health Class Only)

Friday, October 25 KMS Halloween Dance 5 pm - 7 pm

(Tickets will be on sale during lunch/rec beginning Monday, October 21)

Girl's Basketball, Wresting, and Boy's Basketball Schedule Link below.... (will be updated soon)

DragonFly Athletic Schedules

Support KMS by shopping the Scholastic Book Fair in school and online. The in-school Fair will be held October 28 through November 1. Monday, October 28th is a Preview day for all grade levels. The Virtual Book Fair will be from October 28th through November 10th.

Create an e-wallet account for your students to use at both the in-school and virtual Book Fairs. This account can be set-up between October 7 and November 1.

Visit our KMS Book Fair Homepage for additional information.

https://www.scholastic.com/bf/kirtlandmiddleschool

1. Students are still coming to school with Chromebooks that aren't charged. We have a shortage of loaner computers and chargers due to this issue. They are intended to replace laptops who are in the Tech Dept for repair.

2. Protective covers are not being put on Chromebooks which has caused several Chromebooks to be damaged. Make sure to keep your protective cover on Chromebooks at all times.

3. When late to school please check in at the office to get a pass to class.

4. Please see the nurse when not feeling well. She will call home.

For all parents and interested community members. This presentation will give the parents a sense of what Chris presented to their 7 and 8th grade students on Wednesday morning. This is free & open to the public. The Community presentation is being hosted by Andrew Osborne Academy on Wednesday, October 16 @ 6:00 P.M.

PTA MEMBERSHIP LINK

OCTOBER

• TBD Candidates night (details to follow)

• 10/31 (Thurs) KES Halloween parade and parties!

• 10/31 (Thurs) Deadline to purchase PTA Membership

http://kirtlandpta.memberhub.com

NOVEMBER

• 11/6 (Wed) POPCORN DAY!!!

• 11/12 (Tues) PTA meeting in Hornet Hall @ 7:00pm

• TBD KES Book Fair

DECEMBER

• 12/4 (Wed) POPCORN DAY!!!

• TBD PTA Santa Shop

• 12/11- 12/20 Deck the Halls at KES

JANUARY

• 1/8 (Wed) POPCORN DAY!!!

• 1/14 (Tues) PTA meeting in Hornet Hall @ 7:00pm

FEBRUARY

• 2/1 Princess Prom in KES gym

• 2/5 (Wed) POPCORN DAY!!!

• 2/6 (Thurs) School Counselor Appreciation Day

• 2/14 (Fri) KES Heart Healthy Day

MARCH

• 3/2 (Sun) Boys Bowling Bash at Wickliffe Lanes

• 3/5 (Wed) POPCORN DAY!!!

• 3/6 (Thurs) KES BINGO Night in Hornet Hall from 5:30pm - 7:30pm

• 3/11 (Tues) PTA Meeting in Hornet Hall @ 7:00pm

• 3/15 (Sat) PTA Auction at The Banquet Center at St. Noel

APRIL

• 4/1 (Tues) Deadline to turn in PTA Scholarship Applications for KHS Seniors

• 4/2 (Wed) POPCORN DAY!!!

• 4/8 (Tues) PTA Meeting in Hornet Hall @ 7:00pm

• 4/22 (Tues) School Bus Driver Appreciation Day

• 4/23 (Wed) Administrative Professionals Day

MAY

• 5/1 (Thurs) Principal Appreciation Day

• 5/7 (Wed) POPCORN DAY!!!

• 5/5 to 5/9 Teacher Appreciation

• 5/7 (Wed) School Nurse Appreciation Day

• 5/30 (Fri) Last Day of School Picnic/Carnival/5th Grade Party

Volunteer actors and technicians are needed Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays from 5 to 9:15 pm October 11–13, 18–20, 25–27 at Lake Metroparks Farm Park 8800 Euclid Chardon Rd. (Rt.6), Kirtland Volunteers must be 12 or older. Ages 12 to 15 must be accompanied by an adult. Volunteer needs may be subject to change without notice.

Please click on the attached pdf for more details.

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 23-24 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