KMS Parents and Students,

Good afternoon and happy Monday! We had a very busy and exciting last couple of weeks at the middle school. The 7th grade basketball team finished 2nd in the CVC, the 7th grade Power of the Pen team finished 4th, and Sara Garvin was 2nd place overall. This Wednesday, Grace Kostelnik will be competing in the Regional Spelling Bee with a chance to earn a spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee this summer. Finally, please not that our 3rd quarter benchmark assessments will take place Wednesday and Thursday this week and next. Have great rest of your week.

Sincerely, 

 Mr. Race

Week of February 26

February 28 - ELA Benchmark/Social Studies Benchmark

February 29 - ELA Benchmark/Social Studies Benchmark

March 2 - GCCTM Math Competition 8am - 12pm KMS Gymnasium

Week of March 4

March 4 - Board of Education Meeting 7:00pm

March 6 - Math/Science Benchmarks, Popcorn Day, PTA Bingo Night 5:30pm

March 7 - Math/Science Benchmarks

March 8 - Auburn Career Center - 8th grade tour

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

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.

We’re excited to announce an upcoming fundraiser for Kirtland Schools that will be fun for all ages. This event will be one every member of your family will remember.

What: 'Magic Gives Back’ - a Las Vegas-style magic and variety show

When: Sunday March 10th at 3:00pm

Where: Mentor Fine Arts Center at Mentor HS

The show stars Rick Smith, Jr., a very popular television and YouTube celebrity known for his illusions and card throwing tricks. Rick will be joined by a team of very talented entertainers to transform the auditorium into the likes of a Las Vegas or Broadway show. We are encouraging families to get their tickets as soon as possible, as MGB shows have a history of quickly selling out (and we don’t expect ours to be any different).

All the proceeds from this show go directly to supporting Kirtland schools. Along with experiencing a top-tier Grand Illusions show firsthand, the Kirtland Academic Boosters has the potential to raise over $20,000 to fund unique academic programs and improvements throughout the Kirtland Schools.

*Note: The show is being held at the Mentor Fine Arts Center because it requires a facility that can accomodate the complexity of the performance and the illusions. This is 100% a Kirtland fundraising event.

To purchase your reserved seats now, please visit MagicGivesBack.com. Thank you for supporting our schools, and enjoy the show!

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