The Leopard's Tale - January 21

Fri, 01/21/2022 - 11:04am

The Leopard's Tale - January 21

 

A Message from Administration

Today marks the last day of Quarter 2 and Semester 1 of this school year.  Time sure goes fast, and the second semester will fly by as well.  This is a great opportunity for students to clean out and organize their backpack and notebooks, and be ready to start fresh on Tuesday. (A reminder that schools are closed for students on Monday, January 24). 

Next week, we look forward to reviewing the HCPSS student Code of Conduct with students via English classes. We want to ensure that the LKMS community understands expectations and is reminded that violations of the Code of Conduct may result in disciplinary action, in accordance with the range of consequences that come with our Progressive Discipline model.  All students must be aware of and adhere to these expectations for us to ensure a safe and inclusive learning environment for all.

In addition to refocusing on the Code of Conduct,  we will be assisting students in arriving to class on time by adding a “late bell” at the end of the passing time between classes.  This auditory signal should help students to remember that they should move between classes quickly, with brief stops at lockers as necessary.  Passing time is not for socializing with friends, etc.

Another important expectation that we will be emphasizing with students will be the HCPSS Cell Phone Policy.  This policy states that middle school students may not access their cell phones during the school day for any reason.  Many students have been ignoring this expectation, slipping phones into pockets and hiding their earbuds under hoods. In the past week, several student’s focus has been on locating lost phones that were misplaced during the school day.  Please reinforce this school rule/expectation with your students.  Thank you!

It is widely believed that it takes a village to raise our young people…thank you for being a part of our village and letting LKMS be a part of yours.

Regards,

Ms. Lublin and Mrs. Ketterman

 

LKMS Important Dates and News

  • January 21-           End of Quarter 2
  • January 24-           Schools Closed - Professional Work Day
  • January 25-           Quarter 3 Begins
  • January 28-           Spirit Day - “Winter Hat” Day
  • January 31-           2nd Quarter Report Cards (Synergy)
  • February 1-           Schools Closed - Professional Day
  • February 15-          “Gotta Eat Night: - Ledo Pizza (Fulton)
  • February 16-         3 Hour Early Dismissal
  • February 16-          PTA Virtual Meeting - 6:30pm
 

View our full calendar for LKMS

 

LKMS News

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Eighth Grader Shubhani Majmundar who is LKMS’ spelling champion!  Shubhani will represent Lime Kiln at the county level bee in March.  Max Cooper, 8th Grade,  was the runner up.

Twelve students competed through 18 exciting rounds, correctly spelling such challenging words as “albion,” “ducats,” “ziggurat,” and “conkers.” Shubhani’s championship word was “counterfeit.” Congratulations to all competitors!

 

Young Authors’ Contest – 2021/22

The Young Authors’ Contest sponsored by the Howard County Literacy Association is taking place for all students who would like to showcase their writing (short stories or poems).   All students should read the official contest rules and must include the cover sheet with their entry.   All entries must be submitted to Ms. Preston, via email, Melissa_Preston@hcpss.org by Tuesday, January 25.

 

Student Services News

LKMS Pride

LKMS is excited to present students with an exciting opportunity to join LKMS Pride.

  • Mission of LKMS Pride:  Students will take a leadership role to raise awareness and improve school climate regarding the LGBTQIA+ community and help to create a safe place to discuss practices and concerns in our school community.  

  • Goal:   To spread awareness about the LGBTQIA+ community and empower those in our school community that are LGBTQIA+, to normalize the LGBTQIA+ community in our school and to create a more comfortable, safe space for everyone.  

You can join whether you are part of the community, an ally to the community, or if you want to learn about ways to support this community.   All students interested in learning about change and acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community are encouraged to join LKMS Pride.   

This group will meet during Leopard Pride Homeroom once a month.   If your student is interested, please have them click the link below and fill out the online form.  

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_1xh_BL14B1thM_b6u4rULSh17PkZQSCrj8NxGUhCcEjILA/viewform

 

HC DrugFree Updates:

FREE Parenting Classes: Raising preteens and teens is tough. Wouldn’t it be great if adults could take a class that taught us how to help our kids avoid risky behaviors, all while learning how to say no to drugs and alcohol? There is! Guiding Good Choices is an evidence-based, interactive prevention program that provides families with the skills and knowledge to reduce the risk that their children will use drugs and alcohol or engage in other dangerous behaviors. HC DrugFree is pleased to present this popular parenting class for Howard County parents, guardians, and grandparents starting February 2. This program will meet via Zoom for 5 classes (February 2, 9, 16, 23, and March 2) from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Adults should plan to attend all 5 sessions. Topics include How to Prevent Drug Use in Your Family, How to Develop Healthy Beliefs and Clear Standards, Avoiding Trouble: How to Say No to Drugs, Managing Conflict: How to Control and Express Your Anger Constructively, and How to Strengthening Family Bonds.  The class is free, but registration is required :  www.surveymonkey.com/r/GGCFebMar2022 For more information: Email Parenting@HCDrugFree.org, visit www.hcdrugfree.org or view downloadable flier 

FREE Life Skills Classes for Students:

Back by popular demand!!! HC DrugFree is providing a highly interactive skills-based program designed to promote positive health and personal development for youth in grades 6-9. For slightly younger or older students, please register and we will consider each request. We encourage siblings and friends to take these classes together! This program uses developmentally appropriate, collaborative learning strategies to help students achieve competency in the skills that have been shown to help students resist substance use (tobacco, alcohol and other drugs), violence, and other high-risk behaviors. To be sure your student receives numerous perspectives, our instructional team consists of dedicated adults and older students sharing situations they may face in high school, college, and beyond. Classes will be held via Zoom Tuesdays February 8, 15, 22, and March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Registration is required. Please sign-up ASAP as space is extremely limited! For more information: Email LifeSkills@hcdrugfree.org, visit www.hcdrugfree.org or view downloadable flier

PARENTS:

If you are interested in learning more about what is happening in Howard County, the many free resources HC DrugFree and other organizations offer, or how your student can volunteer as they learn skills and receive more community service hours, then sign up for our free newsletter to get updates on events as well as information to keep your family safe and informed. www.hcdrugfree.org 

 

Media Center News

Lime Kiln Middle School Book Swap  

Lime Kiln Middle School students are invited to participate in a Book Swap in the Media Center. Bring in your gently used books and trade them in for “new to you” books to read!  

Book Swap Instructions: 

At home, decide which of your gently used books would be good to pass on to another student. (If a book does not meet the donation guidelines, it will not be accepted.)

Donation Guidelines:

  •         Hardcover or softcover books
  •         Young Adult books  
  •         Preferred genres are manga/graphic novels or novels with copyright dates between              2010-2021
  •         Books must be appropriate reading for middle school students.
  •         No adult books, magazines, coloring books, picture books, or board books. 
  •         Books must be in good condition: no stains, rips, missing pages, or writing inside  

Book Swap Guidelines:

  • Bring your donated books to the media center before the book swap. Book donations will be accepted until Friday, February 11th.
  • Students will receive a book swap pass with the number of books donated so they can pick out the same number of “new to me” books during the swap. Students will fill out their book swap pass with their homeroom teacher’s name and leave them with Ms. Taylor or Ms. Cuesta in the Media Center.  
  • The student’s extended homeroom teacher will give the passes to students who have donated. Students will visit the Media Center during extended homeroom on February 15th. Students will browse the book selection and trade in their pass for “new to them” book(s) to take home and read.

No money will be exchanged for the Book Swap. This is strictly a book recycling activity.

 

Health Room News

Information on upcoming Covid-19 Vaccine Clinics and information on reporting positive Covid-19 test results to our school’s Health Room can be located on our website.

 

A Message from our PTA

Please be certain to view our PTA’s website for upcoming events to include their latest newsletter and information on the Drama Learning Center’s spring drama production at LKMS.  Please view the attached flier to learn more information and dates for this production.

 

HCPSS News

Please visit the website for all the latest HCPSS News and Information to include HCPSS’ updated academic school calendar and Technology Support Center updates.