Dear KMS Parents and Students,

Good afternoon and happy Monday! I know it's only been a week since my last newsletter, but there is a lot of information to share that I didn't have last week. First and foremost, as the end of the year approaches, we anticipate a need for many volunteers, not only at KMS but also at KES and KHS. If you plan to be on campus working with students, please ensure that your fingerprints are up to date. If you need to get them done or have any questions, please email Mrs. Gordon at jeannette.gordon@kirtlandschools.org.

I also want to extend congratulations to Grace Kostelnik for placing second at the Tri-County Spelling Bee. She had an amazing run! Additionally, a big shoutout to the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Math Competition Teams for their strong performance at last Saturday's Greater Cleveland Council of Teachers of Mathematics (GCCTM) competition. And lastly, kudos to Harper Lasecki (State Qualifier) and the rest of the National History Day presenters for their great showing at last week's competition.

Below, you will find more information about the Say Something Spirit Week, upcoming Kirtland Education Booster fundraiser, Kirtland Youth Baseball and Volleyball, as well as new shirts for St. Patrick's Day from the Hornet Clothing Company.

Sincerely, 

 Mr. Race

PHOTO DUMP!!

This google form is for you to submit (as many as you want) photos of you, your friends, groups (all photos must be Kirtland Middle School students ONLY).

All photos must be school appropriate (emails are collected with submissions).

Please see Mrs. Camburako with any questions.

Ideas for photo opportunities;

*at school,

*at home,

*at practice,

*at a game,

*outside,

*wherever!!

https://forms.gle/GGNHou7QznGvJ4BK7

Order your 2023-2024 Kirtland Middle School YEARBOOK today! $17.00 per book. Last day to order: Friday, March 8th. Order Online at https://www.pastorphoto.com or grab an order form in the office and return payment to the school in a sealed envelope. Checks payable to: Pastor Photography.

Week of March 4

Monday, March 4 - Board of Education Meeting 7:00pm

Tuesday, March 5 - Auburn Career Center - 8th grade tour

Wednesday, March 6 - Math/Sci. Benchmarks, Popcorn Day, PTA Bingo Night (Elementary)5:30pm

Thursday, March 7 - Math/Science Benchmarks

Saturday, March 10 - Academic Boosters presents Rick Smith 3:00pm

Week of March 11

Monday, March 11 - 

Tuesday, March 12 - Chicago Trip Parent Meeting 6:30pm and Washington D.C. Parent meeting to follow (approximately 7:30pm) 

Congratulations to 7th grader, Morgan Brunetti, our KMS student of the month. She embodies the true spirit of academic excellence and compassion. She consistently puts forth her best effort towards learning, demonstrating a strong commitment to personal growth and development. Not only does Morgan excel in her studies, but she also goes above and beyond to support and empower her peers, creating a positive and inclusive learning environment for all. Her kind and helpful nature is a testament to her empathy and compassion, both towards her classmates and her teachers. By exemplifying Kirtland's three pillars of self-improvement, empowerment of others, and positive global impact, Morgan sets a shining example for her peers and the entire school community. We are proud to recognize Morgan for her outstanding contributions and look forward to witnessing the continued positive impact she will undoubtedly make in the future.

Key Information:

• Open to 4th, 5th and 6th Grade Girls (Kirtland residents)

• Expanded to SEVEN sessions this year! 

• Sessions will be held on Monday evenings

  •  6:00 – 7:00pm for grades 4 & 5

  •  7:00 – 8:00pm for grade 6

• Sessions will run from April 8th – May 20th 

• Sessions will focus on development of key fundamental 

 skills, learning rules of the game, competition, and fun!

• Each athlete will receive a Kirtland Volleyball t-shirt

• KYVL may be cancelled by Kirtland Schools at any time

• Cost is $50 per participant (cash at door or Venmo @Emily-Keller-60)

Sign-up before March 25th (use link below) 

https://forms.gle/FWg7VWqy1AAWPgon9 

Directors: Emily Keller and Amy Nowacki

Parents and Families of the Kirtland Academic Boosters

 We are excited to announce that our district will be collaborating with an organization known as “Magic Gives Back” to help raise funds for The Kirtland Academic Boosters while providing a truly unique experience you won’t want to miss! 

Magic Gives Back has a history of raising tens of thousands of dollars for school districts. With YOUR HELP, we are anticipating this fundraiser to be one of the most successful fundraisers for our schools to date. 

The Magic Gives Back fundraiser was founded by Rick Smith Jr., an award winning, YouTube sensation, and 7 time Guinness World Record holding Magician/Illusionist. Rick has been seen on countless National television shows and is now brining his cast and incredible Grand Illusion show to OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT! 

HOW DOES IT WORK? 

Magic Gives Back raises funds in two ways, ticket sales & donations. We are asking all students (and parents) to participate to maximize our school’s fundraising potential. 

On “Kick off day” students will come home with a detailed flyer branding a golden ticket. We encourage you to send 10 emails (or more) THAT NIGHT and return your child to school with that golden ticket the following school day for prizes. Students MUST return the golden ticket the following day to be eligible for golden ticket prizes. Additional prizes will be awarded for ticket sales/donations received. The more emails you send, the more prizes you can win! 

This can be the quickest fundraiser you’ve ever participated in. It is SO SIMPLE! 

1. Create a student profile at: https://www.ultimateraise.com/join/kirtland 

2. Input the emails of as many people (near and far) you can think of. (at least 10)

3. Push send! And you’re DONE!! 

*BONUS STEP* : Purchase your tickets to see an Incredible Magic & Illusion show! 

This year ANY STUDENT who raises over $500 in ticket sales/donations will be entered to WIN A FAMILY TRIP FOR 4 to WALT DISNEY WORLD valued at $10,000 Sponsored by The Calvetta Bros. Floor Show! 

Tickets for Magic Gives Back are on sale NOW! This show, featuring award winning entertainers performing under state-of-the-art lighting and visual effects will have you, your family, and friends immersed in a world of Grand Illusion and interactive magic that will create a lifetime of memories! Rick Smith Jr and his team guarantee a show full of fun entertainment for audience members of all ages that simply can’t be found anywhere else! Be sure to get your tickets before they sell out! https://www.ultimateraise.com/join/kirtland

Thank you so much for your time and active participation. We look forward to seeing you at the show! 

Sincerest thanks,

Kirtland Academic Boosters

Congratulations to 7th grader Sara Garvin who took second place AND the entire 7th grade team that placed fourth at the Power of the Pen Lake Erie District Tournament on Saturday! Way to represent KMS, 7th grade writers!

Calling all middle school and high school students, in the Kirtland School District! The Kirtland Kiwanis is having their second annual Creative Writing Contest. Here is your chance to shine!

This year’s theme is: “What does Love have to do with it?”

Use your imagination to create a short story, a poem, a song lyric, a one-act-play, or even a speech. Bottom line, the goal is to create and have fun!

There are three qualifying categories: 6-8th grades, 9th-10th grades, and 11th-12th grades.

Each category has the chance to win:

Blue Ribbon

Red Ribbon

White Ribbon

3 Honorable Mentions in each category $50

Each contestant is allowed to submit only one original piece of writing. Submit your work beginning February 1st. Submission deadline is March 22nd

Winners will be announced in April 2024.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-uX-j8QxekPNdgK2ZwiLUl37tvtpVVuF/view?usp=sharing

The Board of Education has voted to place a renewal levy on the March 19, 2024 ballot for the public’s consideration. Additional information about the renewal levy is available at the following link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/118enk-1AiK7YXzXDdzf0OfA4JhmFHz_OvC8rF3zlKuc/edit?usp=sharing

The Kirtland Youth Baseball & Softball league is striving to make this a great 2024 season. We are taking steps to try to improve the overall experience for coaches, parents, sponsors, umpires, and most importantly the children. We are looking forward to the start of the 2024 season and we hope to make it a great one for all that are involved!

https://www.kirtlandyouthsports.com/

Registration closes Sunday, March 24th @ 5pm. We will immediately form teams and notify parents of team assignments and coaching staff shortly thereafter. Your coach will reach out and begin scheduling practices in Mid to late April, depending on the weather. Games start at the beginning of May and end just before Jul 4. The practice and game schedule is determined by your coach and field availability. However, we encourage coaches to run two practices a week before games start. After games begin, it will be entirely up to your coach, but usually, stay within one practice a week. You will likely have 1-2 games weekly. 

For each division, you can not be older than the oldest age. So, for example, in Girls Softball 8U (7&8Yr olds), your daughter must be 8 or "U"nder on Jan 1, 2023. If your daughter turns 9 in July, they are still 8U for this season. Next season, they will be 10U. Furthermore, although the boy's divisions does not have a "U" it is the same concept. The Minors 9-10 are boys that are 10 or "U"nder on Jan 1, 2023.

While we make every effort to honor requests, we can not guarantee that any athlete will be placed on a specific team. Teams are drafted based on several criteria, including (but not limited to) the number of participants, ability, and experience.

2024 Registration Open 1/19/24

Divisions are:

Mighty Mite / T-Ball: Boys and Girls ages 4-6

Boys Baseball:

Little Indians / 7 & 8 Year-Old Boys

Minors / 9 & 10 Year-Old Boys

Majors 11 & 12 Year-Old Boys

Pony / 13 & 14 Year-Old Boys

Girls Softball:

8U / 7 & 8 Year-Old Girls

10U / 9 & 10 Year-Old Girls

12U / 11 & 12 Year-Old Girls

14U / 13 & 14 Year-Old Girls

*** Age is based on the child's age as of 1/1/2024 ***

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M4Zp4GR0sY4lPceVRfMFe7DB8rvpewSS/view?usp=sharing

Look no further! The ESC of the Western Reserve offers FREE mathematics tutoring. We are here to serve your grade 6-12 students on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. We offer a clean, safe space to assist with math homework, test preparation, and remediation.

https://target.brightarrow.com/Attachments2/3003_3/2310280429071.pdf

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

The lost and found area is no longer filling up but has exploded onto another table!!! Please remind your son or daughter to check the area in the lobby, if they are missing lunch boxes, water bottles, coats, shirts, hoodies, etc. If they are missing anything there is a good chance it is there. There is a lot of really nice stuff that needs to find its way back to it's owner. AT THE END OF THE WEEK WE WILL BE DONATING THE ITEMS IN THE LOST AND FOUND TO CHARITY! Please make sure your son or daughter take some time to double check their belongings are not there.

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.

The official date for the Spring Dance is Friday, April 26. 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1suRagStcxf0ssRBDomyMqpD4qLfAxR7a3YCHdObYlPk/edit?usp=sharing