west middle school...with cough and fever must stay home from school for at least 24 hours after...
TRANSCRIPT
Page 1 of 12
Parent Newsletter for Winter 2019
West Middle School 2700 Harvard Road
Lawrence, KS 66049
www.usd497.org/west
Telephone: (785) 832-5500
World Class Warhawks Winners - Respect
Brad Kempf
Principal
Kathy Branson
Vice Principal
Important Phone
Numbers:
Attendance
Dawn Salisbury
330-2229
Finance
Patti Taylor
330-4620
Student Services
Michelle Brady
330-2227
Nurse
Chanda Sheedy
330-2178
Kitchen/Food Service
Ashley Vance
330-2510
Page 2 of 12
Important Dates and Information
Upcoming Dates:
Winter Concert: Thursday, Dec. 19 at 7:00PM
End of 2nd Quarter: Friday, Dec. 20
Winter Break: Saturday, Dec. 21 – Tuesday, Jan. 7
Start of 3rd Quarter: Wednesday, Jan. 8
No School: Monday, Jan. 20
All School Play Performance Dates:
Friday, Feb. 21 at 7:00PM
Saturday, Feb. 22 at 1:00PM
Saturday, Feb. 22 at 3:00PM
Spring Break: Saturday, March 7 – Sunday March 15
End of 3rd Quarter: Thursday, March 19
No School: Friday, March 20
Upcoming events:
Future City Competition: 1/18/2020 at KU
West has 4 teams participating this year!
Model UN: 2/24/2020 and 2/25/2020 in Topeka, KS
West has 6 delegates this year! If your student is interested in current events, politics, and
debate Model UN might be for them! Please reach out to Mrs. Miescher-Lerner
at [email protected] for more information.
Spelling Bee: 1/13/2020
We have 20 students signed up so far! You child can sign up for the Spelling Bee via
Google Classroom using the code p04g6z
Kansas History Day and National History Day: 2/15/2020
For more information on how to participate contact Mrs. Miescher-Lerner
Scholastic Book Fair: 3/23/20-3/27/20
In the library -- shopping hours after school and during parent-teacher conference times.
Page 3 of 12
Student Services News
Meet Theo!
Theo (short for Theodore) is making his debut as part of the Student Services team this year!
Why Have a Dog in School?
Dogs help lower anxiety
They can boost self-esteem
Therapy dogs have been shown to enhance communication skills
Being around dogs has shown to elevate dopamine and serotonin levels, which
leads to feelings of calmness and happiness
Because of these benefits, dogs in schools can even enhance students’
academic performance!
When Theo isn’t working here at West, he is at home with Carla Schmidt, one of our counselors,
and her family. He is a 2-year-old Goldendoodle. He has been trained by the Wagmore Canine
Enrichment staff, is a certified Canine Good Citizen by American Kennel Club, and is part of the
Loving Paws Therapy Dog group. He is under the care of Kristi Rowland, DVM at Wakarusa
Veterinary Hospital.
We are so excited to have Theo with us this year to help support our students! However, we know
not all people are as crazy about pups as we are. If you have any questions or concerns about
Theo, please contact Carla Schmidt at [email protected] or (785) 832-5500 ext. 4470.
Page 4 of 12
News from the Office
Attendance Policy:
Attendance Policy K-12 (all language has been approved by the Executive
Leadership Team):
Every school day counts in a student’s academic life. A missed school day is a
missed opportunity to learn. Students are expected to be at school unless there is a
reasonable excuse not to be in attendance.
Examples include:
· Personal illness
· Illness or death in the family
· Necessary appointments that cannot be made outside the school day
· Obligatory religious observances of the student's own faith
· Participation in a school approved student activity
· Personal matters*
· Emergencies requiring a student's service or presence at home *
· Family vacations arranged in advance with the school administration*
*A student absent from school due to personal matters, home emergencies, and/or
family vacation is allowed ten (10) excused absences per school year. A parent
requesting additional excused absences above this limitation may submit a
Parent/Guardian Request for Student Absence to the school administrator.
Please be advised that at any point when school officials feel that excessive
absences for any reason are adversely affecting a student's academics and
learning progress, administration may request a meeting with parents and the
student. This discussion will explore the causes of the excused/unexcused absences
and determine what interventions may be necessary to improve the student's well-
being and/or academic and learning progression. School administration or their
designees are authorized to request evidence from parents to verify reasons of
excessive absences.
Page 5 of 12
Tardy Policy:
Please call Dawn Salisbury, Attendance Secretary at 785-330-2229 if your student will be
late
Arriving Late to School
Unexcused 1st period tardy consequences are managed by the office.
Unexcused tardies not excused by a parent/guardian by the following school day by
8:30 a.m. will result in the following consequences:
o 1-3: Warning
o 4th: Warning: Student and parent/guardian notified of detention at the next
tardy.
o 5th: Office referral, 30 minute office detention, parent/guardian contacted.
o 6th+: Office referral, 75 minute office detention; parent/guardian contacted.
o 7th+: Office referral, 1 day ISS, parent/guardian contacted.
Tardies will start over at semester.
Arriving Late to Class
All other class unexcused tardies will be managed by the classroom teacher and will
result in the following consequences:
o 1st: Warning
o 2nd: 20 minute teacher detention, home contacted
o 3rd: 30 minute teacher detention, home contacted
o 4th: ORF, 30 minute office detention, home contacted
o 5th: ORF, 80 minute office detention, home contacted
o 6th+: ORF, 1 day ISS, home contacted
Tardies returning from lunch count as a regular classroom tardy.
An unexcused tardy results without a valid pass. If a student is more than 10 minutes
late they will receive an office referral (MAJOR) for skipping class.
Page 6 of 12
Nurse’s News
Please contact the school nurse with any PE restrictions. The Lawrence School District
requires a doctor’s excusal for any PE restrictions. This note should be turned into the
nurse.
Please also contact the nurse with any health related information regarding your child.
The nurse will ensure that the information is passed on to the correct teachers if
needed.
All Vision screening have been completed. You should have received a yellow piece
of paper or a letter in the mail if you have a student in the 7th grade. Please contact
the nurse for results, if you have not received notification.
Cold and flu season is here. We know it is hard to decide if your child should go to
school or stay home if they complain of not feeling well. We understand that the
dilemma for some parents is if they can miss work. It’s important for children to stay
home under the care of an adult when they are sick. This will allow them the necessary
time to get well and it will also prevent the spread of the illness to others.
When to keep a child home from school: Any child with a fever of 100°F or higher should not
attend school and should not return until they have been fever free for 24 hours, without the
use of fever‐reducing medicine. Please do not give your child fever reducing medicine and
then send them to school. The medicine will wear off, the fever will probably return and you
would need to pick them up anyway.
A child with cold symptoms such as deep or uncontrollable coughing or significant lack of
energy belongs at home even without a fever.
A child with flu‐like illness (fever and cough) must stay home from school for at least 24 hours
after they no longer have a fever or signs of a fever, without the use of fever‐reducing
medicine. If symptoms occur while at school, the student must be picked up as soon as
possible to go home. Contact a medical provider with severe symptoms.
A child with deep or uncontrollable coughing belongs at home even without a fever. A child
with cough and fever must stay home from school for at least 24 hours after they no longer
have a fever or signs of a fever, without the use of fever‐reducing medicine.
Keep your child home from school if they have a severe sore throat. Contact your medical
provider if they also have a fever, headache or upset stomach as this could indicate strep
Page 7 of 12
throat. Children diagnosed with strep throat are no longer infectious and can return to
school 24 hours after antibiotic treatment has been started.
Children who have vomited more than twice in 24 hours or have had 3 or more watery stools
should be kept at home and should return to school only after being symptom‐free for 24
hours. Consult your medical provider if your child also has a stomachache that is persistent or
severe enough to limit activity.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions!
Chanda Sheedy RN, BSN
Sunset Elementary: 785-330-2152
West Middle School: 785-330-2178
Page 8 of 12
Fine Arts News
Fresh off the ice cold success of Frozen Jr, the West Middle School Junior Players are
pleased to present their second musical of the school year, Sister Act Jr!
February 20-22, the Sally Six Hersh Auditorium will come to life with this exciting, uplifting
production!
More information is always available at the Junior Players
Website: http://wmstheatre.weebly.com
Page 9 of 12
Athletic News
WARHAWK BASKETBALL 2020
7th Grade Boys
DATE DAY TIME OPPONENT LOCATION
1/14 Tue 3:30 Liberty Memorial Central MS LMCMS
1/21 Tue 3:30 Billy Mills MS Home
1/23 Thur 3:30 <open>
2/3 Mon 3:30 Billy Mills MS BMMS
2/6 Thur 3:30 Southwest MS Home
2/10 Mon 3:30 Washburn Rural MS Home
2/13 Thur 4:00 Atchison AMS
2/17 Mon 3:30 Liberty Memorial Central MS Home 2/20 Thur 3:30 Southwest MS SWMS
8th Grade Boys
DATE DAY TIME OPPONENT LOCATION
1/14 Tue 3:30 Liberty Memorial Central MS Home
1/21 Tue 3:30 Billy Mills MS BMMS 1/23 Thur 3:30 <open>
2/3 Mon 3:30 Billy Mills MS Home
2/6 Thur 3:30 Southwest MS SWMS
2/10 Mon 3:30 Washburn Rural MS WRMS
2/13 Thur 3:30 Atchison Home
2/17 Mon 3:30 Liberty Memorial Central MS LMCMS
2/20 Thur 3:30 Southwest MS Home
2/24 & 2/25 TBA City Quad LMCMS
Page 10 of 12
Parent Organizations
School Site Council
The West Site Council meets on a monthly basis to discuss issues of
importance concerning all aspects of West Middle School. There are
several openings for interested parents. If you are interested in
serving on the Site Council or are willing to volunteer to help in other
ways, please call the office, and we can add your name to the list.
West Parents of Color West Parents of Color is a group that supports our Equity initiative at West. Meeting once a
semester, this is an opportunity for parents to meet with the building E-team and the
student E-Advisory. The group will discuss topics that will help ensure an equitable
learning environment for all West students.
Parents of West Warhawks Parents of West Warhawks (POWW) is a group that seems to go over and above for our
school, teachers, and students. A couple activities that POWW helps with are
chaperoning school dances and helping to provide food for staff during parent/teacher
conferences.
For more information on joining POWW for the 2019-2020 school year, please contact
parent Stephanie Harris at [email protected]
**** Follow us on Facebook! Parents of West Warhawks (POWW)
Page 11 of 12
Help Out West!
HyVee Dollars for Scholars Program – Please save your HyVee receipts and
send them to WMS. We earn money for our school based on a percentage
of your purchases. Receipt collection boxes are located in the office.
Boxtops for Education – Please clip and save Boxtops for Education. Our
school earns $5.00 for every 50 boxtops turned in. Please turn them into the
office anytime throughout the school year. Thanks for your support.
@WestWarhawks – Follow us on Twitter for events, updates, and upcoming
activities.
Office Depot – Every time parents, students and school supports give your
school’s 5% Back to Schools ID number to Office Depot, our school receives
credits equal to 5% of the qualifying purchases to use for Free Supplies. Our
school ID# is: 70038536
Dillons – Use your registered rewards cards at Dillons and the school receives
funds based on your purchases! Simply log into your account on the Dillons
website and search for West Middle School by name, or by using code
AT824, and click “Enroll”.
Page 12 of 12
Lawrence Public Schools – USD 497 Non-Profit Organization
West Middle School U.S. Postage Paid
2700 Harvard Rd. KC Presort
Lawrence, KS 66049
West Middle
School
2700 Harvard Rd.
Lawrence, KS 66049
PHONE:
(785) 832-5500
FAX:
(785) 832-5504
WEBSITE:
www.usd497.org/west
The Parent Newsletter will only be
available online. If you don’t have
the internet and want a hard copy,
please call Michelle at (785) 330-2227
and one will be mailed to you.