Lancer Legend
February 2024
LTMS Mission and Vision
Our goal is to provide students with experiences that will empower them to become thoughtful, meaningful contributors to society. Our teachers and staff are committed to offering students a wide range of learning experiences that will enable them to discover their passion and how they learn best. While empowering students to uncover their true passion, Loyalsock Township Middle School prepares, engages, and inspires all students to seek academic and personal excellence.
Dear LTMS Families,
The third marking period at the middle school campus is underway and our teachers and staff continue to strengthen academic skills through engaging lessons. To ensure students are accessing the necessary content for achievement, we want to emphasize the importance of regular attendance at school. Attending school consistently is crucial for your student's success both academically and socially. Regular attendance helps students establish a routine, stay engaged in their learning, build relationships, and develop essential life skills. With your support, we can ensure that every student maximizes their potential and achieves their goals.
The month of February is filled with special events at LTMS and we hope to see students participate in our planned activities. On February 9th, our PTO will sponsor a Valentine's Day Dance from 7:00-9:00 PM in our middle school/high school cafeteria. Further details are provided in the content of this newsletter. As described in previous communications, the LTMS Demerit System has been in effect since January 29th. Students must be in good academic standing, reflect the qualities of a positive student, and have good attendance to be able to attend this special event.
In support of American Heart Health Month, the district has partnered with the Lycoming County Intermediate Consortium and UPMC in planning activities for students and staff. On Wednesday, February 14th, all district staff and students are encouraged to wear red in celebration of Red Out Day. Additionally, we will be selling personalized hearts for $1 to display in our lobby area. All monies will support heart disease awareness and related research efforts.
We encourage you to continue nurturing a love for learning at home and staying involved in your student's education. If and when questions or concerns arise or you are in need of assistance or support, it is important that you reach out to your student's teachers first. We ask our staff to respond within a 24-36 hour time frame, and our administrative team is available beyond the first contact as necessary.
Thank you for being a part of our school community, and remember, together, we can continue to make this academic year an enriching and memorable experience for our middle school students.
Warm regards,
Mrs. Rachelle Ackerman, Principal
Mrs. Dayne Waller, Assistant Principal
Important Dates to Remember
- Monday - Friday: Teacher Office Hours 2:40 PM - 3:00 PM
- Includes Academic Support
- 30 min. After School Detention (2:45 PM - 3:15 PM)
- 60 min. After School Detention (2:45 PM-3:45 PM Tuesday and Thursday)
- Monday - Thursday: After School Program (2:40 PM - 3:30 PM)
- Friday, February 2nd - Report Cards Issued on Parent and Student Portals
- Friday, February 2nd - No Tardy Student Reward for January (Free Admission to One Athletic Event)
- Monday, February 5th - Friday, February 9th: National School Counselor Week
- Wednesday, February 7th: School Board Meeting @ 7:00 PM MS/HS MPR
- Friday, February 9th: Early Dismissal for Students (ACT 80 Day for Staff)
- Friday, February 9th: LTMS Valentine's Day Dance 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM MS/HS Cafeteria
- Wednesday, February 14th: American Heart Association RED OUT (Wear Red to School)
- Thursday, February 15th: Track and Field Sign-Ups with Coach Hill 7:45 AM MS Lobby
- Friday, February 16th: SCHOOL IN SESSION (Snow Make-Up Day from January 16th)
- Monday, February 19th: No School - President's Day
- Wednesday, February 28th: LTSD Arts in the School Night @ 7:00 PM MS/HS Cafeteria
January Students of the Month
Congratulations to our LTMS January Students of the Month! These students are respectful (role models to their peers), responsible (take personal accountability), kind (helpful to others), and courageous (strive to improve the well-being of others)!
January Teacher of the Month
Congratulations to our January Teacher of the Month, Mr. David Tini. Our students recognize Mr. Tini as a creative music teacher who supports all of his students... "Mr. Tini helps us when we struggle in band and he stays positive all the time!" Mr. Tini reminds students: "The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark." - Barbara Hall
Students of the 2nd Quarter
Congratulations to the Students of the 2nd Quarter in each grade level! These students are recognized for exemplifying excellence and determination by their ELA, Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies teachers. Way to Go!
6th Grade
(some students not pictured)
7th Grade
(some students not pictured)
8th Grade
VEX Robotics
Middle school students participating in the VEX Robotics Club after school have been preparing for competitions around the state. VEX Robotics allows students to become innovative and creative engineers through the design and programming of robots that must complete an annual challenge. This year's brand new team placed 14 out of 30 in a skills-based competition and 15 out 30 in the head-to-head competition. Congratulations to all members, their families, and Mr. Baker.
8th Grade One-Pagers
One-pagers invite students to think deeply about a text and produce a single page to represent its most important aspects. Mrs. Casale's eighth grade reading classes completed the projects based on their own personal reading choices. Students who use one-pagers make deeper connections to the text and have better retention of key concepts. This skill is important for our students as they continue to thrive in literacy!
Experimenting with Microscopes
After learning the skills necessary, Mrs. Puderbach's seventh grade science classes prepared wet-mount slides to view under the microscope. Students viewed various materials, made observations, and compared changes to the view, including inversion and reversal effects, under different magnifications. When observing magazine fonts under the microscope, students were amazed to see the kaleidoscope of colors used to print images revealed as one color to the human eye. Classes will continue to explore various items under the microscope to gain a better understanding of our world's composition!
Super Growth in iReady!
Let's give a round of applause to our middle school students for making amazing progress towards Typical and Stretch Growth Goals during the iReady Mid-Year Diagnostic assessments! Every student who has made growth since the Beginning of the Year iReady assessment in September will be rewarded with a BINGO card for the day on February 9th. If students made growth in both reading and math, they will receive two cards to play throughout the day. Fun prizes will be awarded to our winners! Congratulations to our 8th graders for winning our "SUPER" friendly competition, demonstrating the most overall reading growth! The grade level winner for math growth will be announced soon!
G.O.A.T.s of the Week
Each week, two LTMS staff members are celebrated for their accomplishments, support, and dedication to education and our school community. Nominated staff are given the title of G.O.A.T (GREATEST OF ALL TIME) and presented with a goat mascot that is placed in their respective rooms for all to see! Congratulations to our January winners!
Mr. Kenneth Williams (6th Grade Science Teacher)
Mrs. Lisa Dunkleberger (School Nurse)
Mrs. Bekki Kendall (6th Grade Reading Teacher)
Mrs. Connie Clapper (Secretary)
Mrs. Beth Rohrer (7th Grade ELA Teacher)
Mr. Andrew Baker (Manufacturing and Engineer Design)
National School Counselor Week
We will honor our school counselors, Mrs. Kate Preisch (6-8 School Counselor) and Mrs. Kendall Sauers (K-12 Trauma Counselor), from February 5th-9th for the services and supports they provide for our students and staff. This special week honors school counselors for the important role they play in college and career readiness and in helping students examine their talents, strengths, abilities, and interests. We are so lucky to have these two amazing counselors as part of our school community. Thank you, Mrs. Preisch and Mrs. Sauers, for being an integral part of our students' lives!
PTO Sponsored Valentine's Day Dance
Our MS PTO members are sponsoring a Valentine's Day Dance on February 9th from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM in the MS/HS cafeteria. To enter, students must either pay $2 at the door or use 20 PBIS points from the school store app. Entrance to the dance will be located on the east side of the building across from the baseball field. Pizza will be available for purchase. We are looking for students, in need of volunteer hours through the silver cord program or other opportunities, to help decorate after school on February 9th. Please contact the middle school office if interested.
As a reminder, our demerit system is in effect; students will be notified a few days beforehand if they are in jeopardy of not being able to attend.
Lancer Foundation Super Bowl Fundraiser
Social Media 101
On January 15th, 2024, the PA Attorney General's Office of Public Engagement presented Social Media 101 to an audience of educators and community members. Mr. Connor Ferrara recorded this important session and provided a link to share with all stakeholders. Please view this one-hour presentation by clicking on the link below. In most cases, incidents involving the use of social media platforms carries into our educational environment, disrupting the teaching and learning process and expectations of safety for our students and staff. We believe, together, we can support our students, starting at home, with crucial information as they access and navigate various social media and "connectivity" platforms. Our school is collaborating with various agencies and individuals to plan an evening presentation in the near future for families, students, staff, and community members.
Join the Boy Scouts of America!
School Menu - February
Breakfast: $2.50
Lunch: $3.50
Prepayment using the MySchoolBucks app is the preferred method of payment for those wishing to make additional purchases. With this account, a parent/guardian can:
1. View and print the student's cafeteria transaction history.
2. Check to see how much money the student has in his/her cafeteria account.
3. Quickly access the account to deposit funds.
There is no charge for checking your student's balance. To use this service, a parent/guardian should go to the login page available on the school website and register as a new user.
Traffic Flow Reminder
To ensure the safety of our students and staff during arrival and dismissal times, please be mindful of the traffic pattern at the secondary campus. Recently, families have been entering our student/staff parking lot behind the campus to either drop-off or pick-up their child(ren) and then exiting behind the bus garage. This causes a safety concern and a potential risk for accidents on school property as our student drivers and staff are entering from Four Mile Drive. Families are asked to follow the pattern as described below:
Please enter the campus using the Loyalsock Drive entrance along with traffic for high school drop-off/pick-up.
At the parking lot, turn right to come alongside the Middle School building.
Please pull all the way up to the front door entrance or when other traffic is stopped to allow the maximum number of cars to drop off students.
Please have your child exit the right side of the vehicle between the gym entrance and MS main entrance in the mornings.
Students may be dropped off as early as 7:20 AM.
Drivers should follow the lane and turn left at the baseball field parking lot and then right to exit the campus past the football field onto Fredna Ave.
Health Services Update
A health services section has been added to the district website. Information regarding required immunizations according to Pennsylvania school guidelines, health screenings, physical exams, and medical forms are included for convenient access.
Attendance Requirements
Following Pennsylvania School Code, all students under the age of 18 are mandated to attend school within the Commonwealth.
COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE PA CODE: 24 P.S. 13-1327 Pennsylvania state law defines compulsory attendance and school age as, “the period of a child’s life from the time the child enters school as a beginner, which may be no later than six years of age, until the age of eighteen or graduation from high school, whichever occurs first.” Therefore, school attendance is mandatory for all resident children within the compulsory ages to attend a school where the Standards of the State Board of Education are taught. School districts have the responsibility to maintain accurate and effective attendance records for their students. The Compulsory Attendance Law treats every absence as unlawful (unexcused) until the school receives a written excuse explaining the reason for the absence.
Excuses should be submitted to the school within three (3) days of the student’s absence. If an excuse is not received, the day(s) of absence is permanently classified as unlawful. Email excuses to MS-excuse@ltsd.k12.pa.us.
Students are permitted a maximum of ten (10) absences (parent/guardian notes) per school year. All absences beyond the lawful allowance require a physician’s excuse. The Compulsory Attendance Law can be found in detail at the Pennsylvania Department of Education.School Hours
The middle school doors open daily at 7:20 AM, and students may receive a free breakfast in the lobby area and enjoy some social time with classmates until they are released to their lockers and Lancer Period classrooms at 7:30 AM. Our instructional day is between 7:40 AM and 2:40 PM, and students MUST be in their Lancer Period classrooms no later than 7:40 AM. Students arriving to their Lancer Period classrooms after 7:40 AM are considered tardy to school, may be subject to disciplinary action, and may accumulate demerits. Let's strive to arrive on time!
Cell Phones, Apple Watches, and Dress Code
We recognize that each student’s mode of dress and grooming is a manifestation of personal style and individual preference. However, it is necessary that all students dress appropriately for all school functions to maintain a safe, healthy, and learning-focused environment. The Loyalsock Township School District supports the dress and appearance of students to reflect and prepare them for the business and social world.
- Midriffs should be covered on all sides of the body, including while raising hands or stretching.
- The shoulder area should be covered at all times. Please refrain from wearing tank tops, spaghetti straps, muscle tees, etc.
- Shorts and skirts should have a 3" inseam or longer.
- Holes in pants should be below the 3" inseam.
- Undergarments should be covered at all times.
- If wearing leggings, a shirt covering the buttocks area is required.
- Pajama bottoms are discouraged.
- Winter outerwear should be placed in lockers during the school day. It is not permitted to be worn throughout the school day.
- We recommend that students keep an extra sweatshirt in their lockers as some areas in the building may be cooler than others.
2023-2024 Bell Schedules
2023-2024 School Calendar
Winter Athletics
We encourage our student spectators to follow school-wide expectations during the athletic season. Remember to use encouraging and positive words towards student athletes on both teams and respect others around you in the stands. Students who refrain from meeting the expectations on school grounds during events will be asked to leave and further disciplinary actions may follow. Let's be true fans during the athletic competitions and cheer for our Lancers!
Traffic During Athletic Events/Practices
The traffic flow around the high school/middle school complex operates as ONE-WAY ONLY, in a clockwise direction, at all times, including after school. The west entrance (Northway Road side) to the school loop is designated as an ENTRANCE ONLY and should not be used as an exit. Similarly, the east side intersection with Loyalsock Drive (next to the baseball field) is marked as an EXIT ONLY and should not be used as an entrance.
Please exercise caution and maintain slow speeds around the building, particularly during drop-offs and departures from practices, games, and other events. We appreciate your cooperation!
7th/8th Grade Spring Sports
Spring Sports Physicals are scheduled for Thursday, February 22nd, starting at 2:45 PM. Please contact the HS office to schedule your appointment. Physicals are $10 and payment is due at the time of appointment. Online registration MUST be completed prior to the physical. Track and Field sign-ups will be held on February 15th in the MS lobby during Lancer Period.
On-line registration can be completed by visiting the Athletic Website at www.ltlancers.org and clicking on the link for online registration. If your student athlete played a sport in the Fall or Winter, just log in to your student and parent Big Teams accounts and complete Section 7. If you answer "NO" to all the questions, your registration is complete. Please note: both the parent and student must sign off on the Section 7. If you answer "YES" to any questions, you will be required to have a Section 9 completed by your physician. You can find Section 8 available for download on the website under the files & links tab. Once the completed Section 8 is uploaded, the Athletic Department will review for approval.
If your student did NOT play a fall or winter sport, please have them log in to their student account, using their school email and the password "bigteams". Please Note: Student accounts have already been created. Students do NOT need to create new accounts. All sections of PIAA Pre-participation packet and school required documents should be completed and digitally signed. You (or the student) will be required to send a invitation to link to a Parent Account. The invite can be found under "linked accounts". Once you've accepted the invitation, and created your parent account, you will be required to complete any incomplete forms and digitally sign, as the parent. Please be sure to upload a current physical, dated after June 1, 2023. After the registration is complete, it will be reviewed for approval by the Athletic Department. You can find detailed instructions on registration process in the announcement section of the Athletic Website.
Reminder: Your student athlete will NOT be permitted to begin practices if their registration is incomplete, including Section 7. If you have any questions about registration or physicals, please call Shannon Butters, Athletic Secretary at 570-326-3581 ext. 1300.
Athletics Website
Please visit our website to view team schedules, photos, announcements, events, etc. Don't forget, while visiting the website, to sign up for your own "Fan Account" so you can stay up to date with all your team’s schedules and scores. You can also download your favorite teams schedule right to your own personal calendar. Find your team's calendar, click on subscribe, and follow the instructions. Changes to events, including day, time, location, etc., will automatically be updated on your personal devices.
General athletic questions may be directed to :
Athletic Director, Mr. Ben Lorson blorson@ltsd.k12.pa.us
Athletic Secretary, Mrs. Shannon Butters sbutters@ltsd.k12.pa.us
LTSD Blackboard App
School calendars
Student/parent portal
News feeds & announcements
MySchoolBucks (cafeteria)
Various resources/forms
Moodle access
Clubs and activities