CMS March 2024 Newsletter
March 6th, 2024
Newsletter
From the Principal
Dear Chase Families,
Welcome to March and the beginning of fourth quarter Cougar families! Our third quarter ends on March 6th. Please remind your student to get any missing assignments turned in before March 6th at 3pm. Grades will be posted in TylerSis March 25th. Students will be out of school for spring break March 11-18th. We look forward to seeing all students back to begin the fourth quarter on March 19th.
March also marks the beginning of state assessments. We will begin with the 8th grade Science Assessment the week of March 25th. Reading and Math state assessments will be the first and second week of April. We appreciate the support of all parents in getting your student to school every day. We cannot stress enough the importance of attendance and participation in class for students finding success and achieving at their fullest potential. March will also bring us our last student recognition assemblies of the school year. The dates are listed on our school calendar and below.
Finally, Congratulations to our Boys Basketball team on an outstanding season! These players expanded their talents and developed skills that they can use on and off the court. We are proud of them all! Have a wonderful spring break!
Student Recognition Assemblies– 2:15
8th grade March 22
7th grade March 21
6th grade March 20
Ms. Spalding
Get Ready, Get Set, State Assessments!
Kansas Math, Reading, and Science Assessments right around the corner, there are some preparations that students can do to help their minds and bodies be prepared for the rigorous assessments that they are about to take. Outside of their studies, here are a few things students can do to make sure they are best prepared for these assessments:
∙ Get plenty of sleep!! Students need at least 7 to 8 hours of good sleep to have enough energy to focus during a school day.
∙ Eat a good breakfast every day! A good breakfast with all of the appropriate food groups help students maintain the energy level they need to stay focused.
∙ BE AT SCHOOL ON TIME! Coming in late could affect the amount of time students have to work on the assessments. Being late places a level of stress on students that interferes with their thought process.
∙ HAVE CHROMEBOOKS CHARGED AND READY TO GO. This is a DAILY expectation anyway.
Students may NOT use any wireless additions (wireless mouse/earbuds)
By doing some of the above items can help your students be successful.
February Students of the Month
Staff selected these students for demonstrating the CHASE way at all times.
Grade 8 - Saamir Triplett
Grade 6- Dylan Falconbury
Grade 7- Austin Carter
From YOUR PTO
SAVE THE DATE
PTO is hosting a Family Bingo Night on Friday, April 26, 5-6:30 PM. Hotdogs, chips, and drinks for a convenient supper plan. Lots of prizes and new games! Hope to see you there!
STEAM Night Art Winners
At STEAM night we held an 8th grade Art Show. Visitors of steam night got a chance to vote on their hopeful best in show artworks that the 8th graders have created so far this semester. The winners are as follows:
(Left to Right)
Best in Show: Hailey Rae Harting
2nd Place: Hailey "Vera" Tumey (not pictured)
3rd Place: Victoria Munoz
Honorable Mentions: Wachiwi Drapeaux-Stewart and Lily Santibanez
Student Attendance Policy
At this time in the year, we feel it is a good time to review our attendance policy. All contacts to excuse absences must be made within 24 hours of the absence. Please refer to the state and school policies below in regards to student attendance.
ATTENDANCE/TRUANCY
Regular attendance is required by law. Please refer to the District Student Handbook for further guidelines. It is necessary that a parent/guardian notify the school within 24 hours whenever a student is absent.
Truancy is defined by Kansas state statute (K.S. 72-1106) as a student under age 18 who has been absent unexcused from school on three (3) consecutive days or five (5) days absent within a semester or seven (7) days within a school year.
Parents will be notified for the following attendance issues:
Multiple unexcused absences
Excessive lateness to school
Excessive (10 or more) absences
At truant status: Home visits are made by our counselors prior to truancy being filed.
Additional Chase Middle School policies regarding attendance:
After 10 absences, doctor’s documentation will be required for any further absences.
Family vacations or family trips will need prior administrative approval. If approved, the absence will only be excused up to 3 school days.
8th Grade to Worlds of Fun
It is our plan to take our 8th grade class to Worlds of Fun, Friday, May 17, 2024. This trip is a reward for all 8th graders who earn it by demonstrating the CHASE WAY. The cost of the trip will be $31 per student. Any food or drink purchased at the park will be at the student’s expense. We will provide a sack lunch for each student. A payment plan option is available to you this year. Simply bring in any
amount of money that you would like to go toward your ticket cost. It will be put in an "account" in your name and you will be given a receipt. Once you have paid for the ticket in full you will receive a
receipt showing "PAID IN FULL” Payment for the field trip must be paid in advance. Checks should be payable to Chase Middle School.
Eighth graders wishing to attend are expected to have no F’s, no out of school suspensions, and less than 3 ISS incidents. Students must also have at least one eligibility point remaining during the 4th quarter. We will check student profiles weekly beginning March 19th and will continue until Thursday, May 16, 2024. Students must meet the eligibility criteria in order to be invited to attend. Students who purchase a ticket and then become ineligible after the tickets have been ordered, will NOT be reimbursed for their ticket as it is non-refundable through WOF.
Students will leave Chase MS by 8:15 AM on May 17th. Students will be given ample time to explore the park independently with friends. They will be required to appear at two mandatory “check point” times. Students will need to bring money for lunch. Students will return to Chase around 5:00 p.m. We will leave and return from the parking lot at Chase MS.
Please remember that this is a reward for students who meet the criteria, not an absolute for every 8th grader. Students who are not eligible to attend the trip or do not wish to go will have an alternate schedule the day of the trip.
If you have further questions, please call your student’s Advisor Base teacher at 295-3840.
23/24 Fee Payments
Topeka Public Schools launched a new fee payment system this school year, SchoolPay. Some issues were encountered while implementing the fee payment system, but we feel SchoolPay is now functional.
Parents/Guardians may now access SchoolPay to pay 2023-2024 school fees.
To access SchoolPay through your ParentVue account, visit topekapublicschools.net. In the upper right corner of the screen, click on the SynergySIS Login link.
Items for Families
Chase Middle School is fortunate to have acquired hygiene items to provide our families with items they may need. Here is a list of items that we currently have in stock. If your family has a need for any of these items, you can fill out this simple form, or call us with which items you need. This link will also be on our school website to access as needed.
- Laundry detergent
- Deodorant
- Chapstick
- Combs
- Toothpaste
- 2 in 1 Shampoo/Conditioner
- Face wash
- Bar soap Hand sanitizer
Grace Med Dental Clinic
GraceMed will be at Chase Middle School, providing dental cleanings during the school day on Thursday, March 21. If you would like your student to be seen by a hygienist, please complete the following link. A representative from GraceMed will contact you directly with more
information. https://gracemed.org/dental-consent You may contact GraceMed directly at (785) 861-8800 or via their website: https://gracemed.org
From the Nurse
Students who will be entering 7th grade in the 2024/2025 school year are required to have updated immunizations including: Tdap (tetanus booster) and MCV (meningococcal). If your student has already received these immunizations, please send documentation to the nurse at this time. Students will be required to provide proof of immunization within 30 days of the start of school in the fall.
24/25 Enrollment
Save the date! Enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year will open online in April 2024. Families are encouraged to register early, as we anticipate classes filling up quickly again this year.
Information regarding enrollment, school supply lists, and other items for families to prepare for next year will be available in April at topekapublicschools.net. View the 2024-2025 Academic Calendar here.
As a reminder, returning families will receive an email to register their students from Synergy Student Information System and enroll through ParentVue. Families new to Topeka Public Schools will create a new account and register online.
TPS Provides Answers to Frequently Asked Questions on New Open Enrollment Policies
The new open enrollment policies and procedures for the 2024-2025 academic year outline a series of important timelines and processes established by the Board of Education.
Nonresidents (families that do not live within the TPS boundaries) must apply to attend any TPS school. Approval is not automatic under this new open enrollment policy and depends largely on capacity at the requested TPS school.
View answers to frequently asked questions on the new open enrollment policies at topekapublicschools.net.
Bullying Policy
Chase Middle School will not tolerate bullying of any kind. Bullying is defined as any ongoing verbal or physical mistreatment where there is an imbalance of power, and the target/victim is exposed repeatedly to negative actions by one or more students. Bullying can be direct (physical or verbal), or indirect (exclusion, cyber-bullying, emotional). In order for everyone to feel safe and secure at school, every Topeka Public School has adopted the following rules against bullying. “I will not bully others. I will try to help students who are bullied. I will do my best to include students who are easily left out. When I know somebody is being bullied, I will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.” Students, staff, and parents should report any bullying that they are aware of to administration through the on-line bully report link on the Chase website. Students who bully others will receive consequences. Our counselors and administration have visited 6th, 7th and 8th grade classes in August and January to remind students what bullying is, what we can do to prevent bullying, and what students should do if they or someone else is being bullied.
Notice of Non-Discrimination
The Topeka Public Schools, Unified School District No. 501 is committed to affirmative action and equal opportunity. No person shall, on the basis of age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, disability, national origin or ancestry be denied lawful access to any appropriate educational service, program or activity provided by the school district. The Title VI and Title IX compliance coordinator is the Assistant Superintendent for Teaching/Learning/Administration. The Section 504/Title II compliance coordinator is the Coordinator of College and Career Ready Services. For employment, the EEO/AA officer is the General Director of Human Resources. All compliance coordinators may be contacted at 624 SW 24th Street, Topeka, KS 66611-1294, (785) 295-3000. The clerk of the Board of Education has been designated to receive and redirect or handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies, regulations and procedures. The clerk may be contacted by calling (785) 295-3045 or by writing to 624 SW 24th Street, Topeka, KS 66611-1294.