ABMS Weekly News
August 5, 2022
NEW - Fall Sports First Practice Dates
We encourage all of our students to get involved in school activities as it creates positive connections, strengthens one’s work ethic, and builds upon the skills learned within the school day. The school activities include our Athletics and Activities, Co-Curricular activities, and school clubs.
Sports in our middle schools are grade level specific. For our fall sports: Football is for 8th graders, Volleyball is for 8th grade girls, Cross Country is for 7th and 8th graders and Cheerleading is also available for 7th and 8th grades. All participants must upload the physical dated after May 1, 2022 and complete the Pre-Participation Packet online. Football and Cross Country begin Monday August 15th at 3:45 PM. Volleyball begins on Monday August 22nd at 3:15 PM. Cheer/Dance begin on August 29, 2022.
**Football and Cross Country Parents: Please be aware that your student must attend ALL practices beginning on August 15th until the first competition. The state of Kansas requires a certain number of practices to be eligible to play. If you know your football or track athlete will NOT be able to attend ALL practices, please let Coach Stewart (TKStewart@bluevalleyk12.org) or Coach Owen (JOwen03@bluevalleyk12.org) know as soon as possible.**
Students participating in activities, including band, choir, and orchestra, must also create an RSchool account and fill out the pre-participation questions. You do not need a physical--just answer the online questions. A link to the RSchool website is below.
Musical auditions are from August 29- September 1st, and any ABMS student can participate. The Musical Directors will visit with students at lunch prior to auditions about how to sign up and will share information regarding auditions.
Fall Sports have their “Meet the Coach Night” for parents on Tuesday August 23rd, at 4:45 PM. Mr. Colburn will meet with parents briefly and then coaches will visit with the families for individual meetings around 5:00 PM. These are very important meetings so parents/guardians understand the expectations for our ABMS athletes and can learn about schedules and game information.
School clubs will begin after school starts, and specific club information will be shared in the near future at Back to School Night and on the bulletin board in our main hallway. School clubs are open to any ABMS student.
NEW - August 9th Wolverine Welcome Information
Date/Time
Wolverine Welcome is on August 9th from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Families and ABMS students can come at a time that works within their schedule. We ask that families park in our front (north) parking lot.
What happens at Wolverine Welcome
This event is when any ABMS student and family is welcomed to attend. The following occurs:
Lockers and School Supplies - Students will receive their locker assignment/combination so they can find their locker, practice opening the locker and put away school supplies. As a reminder, students cannot decorate the outside of the locker but they can use magnets on the inside. It is best practice to not put too many unnecessary items in the locker as otherwise the locker gets crowded and can cause the locker to get jammed.
Yearbook Pictures - Students can get their yearbook picture taken. SCH Photo will be taking our student pictures for our yearbooks, and families may also order the school pictures. SCH will have printed picture order envelopes available for families that day or families can access the online order information below. If families do order the pictures, please note Online orders can be submitted until 1 day after picture day and you will need to use the following passcode: 3585
Here is the link for online orders
https://schphoto.hhimagehost.com/V2/Home/LoginConsumer?EK=201785
PE Shirts - Preordered PE shirts will be available to be picked up. PTO should have a limited number of PE shirts available to sell for those that missed the opportunity to order a PE shirt. https://www.bvswden.com/abms
Yard Signs - Our PTO will have ABMS Yard Signs available for purchase at $10 that help show your ABMS pride. See attached.
PTO Information - PTO will have information available on how to join PTO and opportunities to donate to the gift fund that directly supports ABMS students.
What Happens if you cannot Attend August 9 Wolverine Welcome
If students cannot attend Wolverine Welcome on August 9, then they can come between 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. on August 15 or August 16th to get their locker information and put away school supplies. On September 19, students who missed August 9th can get their yearbook picture taken.
NEW - Fall MAP Testing Dates
ABMS has their Fall MAP Testing dates. This includes August 30 and August 31. We would ask families to try to avoid scheduling appointments on these specific days so students can take our Fall MAP Testing Dates.
NEW - Information on School Lunch Program
Blue Valley Families,
The USDA ended the nationwide free meals that were available for all students at the conclusion of the 2021-22 school year. This means that meals will be charged at full price unless your family has been approved for the Free & Reduced Meal Program after July 1 of the current school year.
APPLY FOR THE FREE & REDUCED MEAL PROGRAM
Blue Valley Food and Nutrition Services is again participating in the Child Nutrition Program which offers Free and Reduced meal benefits to qualifying families. This is an annual program, and a new application is required each school year to qualify for benefits.
- Verify your family meets the Free & Reduced Meal income guidelines.
- Apply online using the Chrome browser. If your default browser is not Chrome, please copy and paste this URL https://family.titank12.com/application/new?identifier=TGY6RJ into a Chrome browser to begin the application process.
- Remember to complete the Consent for Disclosure section if you wish to obtain additional discounts for school fees or bus transportation fees based on your application status.
- If a member of your household receives Food Assistance (FA), or Temporary Assistance to Families (TAF) from the State of Kansas, or you have a Foster student you may not need to apply. Contact Bobbi Valverde at bvalverde@bluevalleyk12.org if you need to verify your status.
- Need a paper application? Paper applications are available on the district website, at all Blue Valley schools or by contacting Bobbi Valverde at bvalverde@bluevalleyk12.org or (913) 239-4106.
- Submit the completed application before August 17 for full meal benefits upon qualifying. All families that apply will receive a letter notifying the determination. Please allow at least 10 days before inquiring about your submission.
Thank you for your support as we work together to meet the nutritional needs of all Blue Valley students. More information about the Free & Reduced meal program is available online. If you have questions please contact bvalverde@bluevalleyk12.org.
We look forward to a happy, healthy, and successful 2022-23 school year.
NEW - Attendance Reporting and Notifications
Families can expect automated attendance messages by email, phone, and text if a child is absent and their absence has not already been reported by a parent/guardian. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to report an absence or reply to the automated email or phone message.
What is the purpose of attendance notifications?
We realize that students may occasionally need to miss school for planned absences, illnesses, and appointments. However, when a student does not arrive at school or unexpectedly misses a portion of the school day, we are concerned and want to make sure you are aware that your child is absent.
How can I get push notifications?
Families who would also like a push notification can download the ParentVUE app and manage their notifications. If a child has an unreported absence when a teacher submits attendance, then a push notification will immediately be sent to the parent/guardian's mobile device.
Interested in push notifications? Simply download the ParentVUE app (iTunes app store or Google Play), enable push notifications in device settings and select attendance notifications through in-app settings. Once the app is downloaded, these instructions will help you complete the set-up.
**Please note, if you choose to unsubscribe from getting these notices, it automatically unsubscribes you from all email and text communications from ABMS.
NEW - PTO Meeting Dates
The PTO Meets typically on the first Friday of the month. Due to the Labor Day holiday, our September meeting will be Friday, September 9th at noon. We will be in person as well as on zoom for this meeting only. Lunch will be provided. Future dates are as follows with the zoom link to follow:
September 9th 12 noon IN PERSON and ZOOM
October 7th 12 noon ZOOM
November 4th 12 noon ZOOM
December 2nd 12 noon ZOOM
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
January 6th 2023 12 noon ZOOM
February 3rd 12 noon ZOOM
March 3rd 12 noon ZOOM
April 7th 12 noon ZOOM
May 5th 12 noon IN PERSON and ZOOM
NEW - PTO Hosting Staff "Welcome Back" Breakfast
Hey ABMS Families! Let's POP in to welcome our AMBS staff back with breakfast! Sign up to drop off food items to the office on August 10 or volunteer to set up/clean up on August 11!
REVIEW - Importance of School Attendance
As a school, our focus is on student learning. Regular school attendance is important for academic learning and creating positive school connections. As a reminder, if your child is sick and cannot attend school, parents should contact ABMS AttendanceABM@bluevalleyk12.org or call 624-2305. It is also important that our students are on time for school to maximize their class time and create positive learning habits. We recognize that there are times families may be running late, and a student may be tardy. Students who are late need to check into the front office for a pass prior to going to 1st hour. A student is considered tardy to 1st hour when they are not in their assigned seat at 7:51 a.m. ready to learn. Our focus is on consistently having students in class on time ready to learn. Listed below is how ABMS will address tardies:
Once a student has more than 5 tardies to 1st hour, administration will visit with the student.
On the next tardy to 1st hour, the student will have an assigned consequence during lunch.
Progressive discipline will occur for any further tardies.
Tardies for 1st hour reset each quarter.
Parents/Guardians can monitor their child’s attendance so they are aware of the number of tardies. Teachers will develop a tardy policy for hours 2-9 and will share their expectations with students.
REVIEW - Expectations with Student Cell Phones
If a student has a cell phone, it needs to be kept in their locker during the school day. If students are using their phones during the school day, then staff may ask for the phone which is brought to the office. Multiple infractions would be addressed as follows:
1st infraction - student receives phone back from main office at end of school day.
2nd infraction - student receives phone back from main office at end of school day and administration visits with student.
3rd infraction - student receives phone back from main office at end of school day and front office contacts the parents/guardians.
4th infraction - Parent/Guardian would need to pick up the phone from the main office and at that point the student would turn their phone into the front office each morning and get it back at the end of each day.
If students need to contact their parents/guardians during the school day, students can use our phones in the main office or ask teachers for permission to use the classroom phones. Students can also ask staff for permission if they can use their own student phone if they need to contact parents/guardians.
REVIEW - ABMS Para Educator Openings
We strive to retain our staff and hire the best applicants when we have openings to provide the best experiences for our students. As we approach the start of the school year, ABMS still has several para educator openings for this school year. If anyone has an interest in these jobs, please reach out to clegleiter@bluevalleyk12.org . The para educator role offer flexible schedules, full benefits and more.
REVIEW - Traffic Flow Map for Drop off and Pick up
To help our families understand our morning and afternoon drop off and pick up procedures, we have updated our Traffic Flow Map. Please see attached. As a reminder, in the morning on school days our front doors open at 7:20 a.m. so we ask that families please have students wait with them in the vehicle until 7:20 a.m. before they exit the vehicle to enter the building. To ensure a safe and orderly drop off and pick up line, we need all vehicles to adhere to the following:
Please pull your vehicle all the way forward to the front of the drop off/pick up line as this allows more vehicles within the drop off/pick up zone.
Only have your child exit or enter your vehicle when you are in the drop off/pick up zone as this ensures students are going directly to and from the vehicle from a sidewalk.
Please be patient with other drivers as they follow our procedures so that we all are working together.
Please notice on the Traffic Flow Map for the AM drop off only, after our buses in the back lot (south side of building) exit by 7:40 a.m., families can also use that portion of our campus to drop off their child to enter the school. The same general procedures for the traffic apply to the drivers on the south side as well.
REVIEW - Update on Student Chromebook Filter
Blue Valley utilizes a filtering system to help protect your student online while in school and at home when using the Blue Valley issued Chromebook. This filtering system helps to minimize online distractions and promotes a positive learning environment.
This year in all middle schools, students will not be able to access the following items on their Blue Valley Chromebook:
-Social Media such as Instagram/Pinterest/Reddit
-Social Networking such as Linked In/TikTok/Facebook/Twitter
-On Line Chat Platforms such as Google Messenger/Discord/Slack/Kik/
Information on Securly Home Filter
Families can take an active role in your child’s online safety with Securly Home. We recognize that student safety and well-being in the online world is a shared responsibility between our schools and families, and with Securly - the district’s cloud-based filtering system - taking an active role in your child’s online safety has never been easier.
DOWNLOAD Securly Home Parent Portal app (oniTunes or Google Play)*: With the Securly Home Parent Portal app, families can monitor student technology use and customizefilters on district devices outside of the BV Network/IP Address.* This app is currently available to families with students who received a district Chromebook/MacBook to use at school and home. Watch the video below for instructions to download/configure the app. Securly Home accounts are tied to the email address you have listed in ParentVUE. If you need assistance adding or updating your email in ParentVUE, call the front office of your child’s school. *If parents need assistance in account setup they can put in a BV Care ticket.
RECEIVE self-harm notifications: Families who download the Securly Home Parent Portal app will automatically be opted-in to receive mobile push notifications if their child searches content related to self-harm on a district-provided device. While school personnel may monitor online activity on district devices when students are connected to the BV Network/IP Address, it is the responsibility of our families to monitor online activity on district devices in the evenings, on weekends, over holidays and during school breaks by downloading the Securly Home Parent Portal app. For resources to help talk to your child about their well-being, visit https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/studentwellbeing.REVIEW - School Events/Dates
August 9th Wolverine Welcome - Wolverine Welcome is from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. This day is when any ABMS student and family is welcomed to attend so students find their locker, practice opening the locker, put away school supplies, and get their yearbook picture taken. Families can stop by anytime from 8 am - 3 pm. SCH Photo will be taking our student pictures for our yearbooks, and families may also order the school pictures. If students cannot attend Wolverine Welcome on August 9, then they can come between 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. on August 15 to get their locker information and put away school supplies. On September 19, students who missed August 9th can get their yearbook picture taken.
6th grade orientation is August 16 from 7:51 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. This is a required school day for 6th grade students as they will receive their class schedule, become familiar with the building and meet their teachers. The bus company will be providing busing on this day for students who are registered for the bus service. This event is for ABMS students only.
New Student Orientation is August 16th from 7:51 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. This is an optional event for new 7th and 8th grade students to ABMS for the school year. The new 7th and 8th grade students will have the chance to meet counselors, administrators and staff. They will also get the chance to become familiar with the building and learn about ABMS and how to get involved and connected to our school.
School starts for all students on Aug 17. Our school day runs from 7:51 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.. Our doors open at 7:20 a.m. for car riders and bus riders. 6th grade students will receive their class schedule on 6th grade orientation, and 7th and 8th grade students will get their schedules on August 17. The district will share when class schedules will be viewable on ParentVue for families.
Back to School Night for Parents/Guardians is August 22. Families will have the option of viewing information online about their child’s teachers that will be sent by ABMS or parents/guardians can come in person for the Back to School Event from 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. (tentative time). Parents/Guardians who choose the in person event will go through their child’s schedule and meet the teachers in each class period for a short period of time. More information will be shared in advance of the event.
REVIEW - PTO Website
Be in the KNOW with ABMS PTO! Check out our UPDATED PTO website for more information about meetings, events, and PTO Board and Committees.
While you are there, you can sign up to for a PTO position. We have lots of different options available!
Remember to INVEST IN ABMS (you can use the square above).
REVIEW - PTO Social Media
Please follow ABMS PTO on:
ABMS PTO FACEBOOK PAGE - @AubryBendMSPTO
ABMS PTO INSTAGRAM PAGE. @ABMSPTO
ABMS PTO TWITTER PAGE @AbmsPto