KAMSC Newsletter

The KAMSC Planners arrived this week. I want to give a huge shout out to Mrs. Katelyn McCarthy, freshmen IT teacher/Math III teacher. She is an integral part of our Challenge Success team and she designed the planner over the summer. It is KAMSC specific with places for students to set goals, quotes from Challenge Success, brain science facts for students and it's beautiful and inviting to use. We chose to make it notebook size and to laminate the front cover. Freshmen will be reminded to use it and Mrs. McCarthy will coach them through using it weekly in IT. We want to develop good planning habits in order to reduce procrastination and increase PDF time for students. What is PDF time? Challenge Success defines it as play time, down time and family time. It is really important that we coach our KAMSC kids that you can do hard things and be busy AND find time for joy. We hope that the planners will support that. Below are some pictures of sophomore teacher Chemistry teacher, Claudia Witt-Thomas passing them out to her sophomores. These planners would not be possible without generous donations from parents that came in throughout the summer. Our students are so lucky to have such great support from our KAMSC community. Thank you!

Heather Kortlandt

Director, KAMSC

KAMSC sophomore, Marta Kellam brought forth the idea of a healthy fundraiser for KAMSC last December. I asked her to write me a proposal and she came up with Kilometers for KAMSC. Part of our Challenge Success program is lifting student voice and promoting physical health. I am excited to be partnering with Marta to plan this event for KAMSC, which we hope will become an annual event. We will be using Fund Hub to raise funds for many different activities and needs at KAMSC. Some of those include sustaining our student planner project each year, supplies for research, classroom supplies, food supplies for school parties, funding for lab aid positions and much more.

Please register your child by clicking on this link. We then ask that you share the Kilometers for KAMSC fundraiser link with at least 10 people using the share tools on your dashboard. Checks are also accepted; just send them to the office with your child’s name so they get credit for prizes.

We will host the Kilometers for KAMSC at Kalamazoo Central on October 1st (instead of open lab). Please come join us as we walk/run laps. We will also be sharing important Challenge Success tips for students that night as they walk. We hope that this will be a fun, and healthy event!

Sophomore Nina Shaye is exploring interest in a Yearbook club. She is hoping for students to complete this survey. The survey will close on 9/21.

Challenge Success is hosting a webinar on October 7th to support families around college admissions, titled "A Healthier Approach to College Admissions". Cost is $29 per person. You can learn more by clicking on this link. The objectives of the webinar are:

1. Learn research-based findings on the relationship between college selectivity and future outcomes, including learning, job satisfaction, and well-being.
2. Explore practical strategies to embrace a healthier approach to the college admissions process.
3. Gain a deeper understanding of the value and meaning of engagement in college and high school.

WMU hosts the Innovation Expo on Friday, December 5th this year and we would love to see some KAMSC students participate. Click here to learn more about the event and it's requirements. Please see Mrs. Joyce or Mrs. Kortlandt if you have an idea that you want to present on December 5th.

I hope that you all have had a chance to review our KAMSC Handbook and sign the acceptance form through PowerSchool. Here is a direct link to it again. I would invite you to be sure that you have read through the MTSS support procedures. I will pull grades to review the 3.0 requirements and use that as a gauge to get more support for students. If your child is showing that need, Mrs. Allbee or I will email you and the child to set up support provided by KAMSC. This is required for a three week interval and then we pull grades again to review. Our hope is always that that three week interval is enough support but students will sometimes move in and out of support throughout a semester. Please know, that this is meant to be a supportive measure. We take our responsibility of helping your child achieve the high standards of KAMSC seriously.

Each year KAMSC hosts university representatives that will come speak with students and parents. We also host a College Information night, which will be September 24 at open lab from 7-8:30 pm.

Please click the button below for a full list of dates and times for scheduled college visits at KAMSC and local in our area.

Please fill out this required volunteer form to have on file.

Here is a link to the KAMSC opt out if your child will not be able to attend a given field trip. (note we are asking all parents to opt in just once as a permission slip for the full year, but can use this form to opt out of individual trips. Opt out form link

If you are dropping off or picking up your student at KAMSC, please do so at the Vine Street entrance. Please find a safe place to pull over and then have you student proceed to the Vine street entrance. If students are driving themselves:

1. They need to acquire a parking pass from the KAMSC office - please fill this out

2. They need to park by the El Sol playground off of Dutton Street (but then walk to Vine street entrance)

3. They should be reminded to not keep anything valuable in their car and to keep their cars locked at all times.

4. The building will have a campus security officer at the Vine Street entrance during times of arrivals and dismissals.

Wed Sept 24 - Open Lab 6-7:30

Wed. Sept 24 - college night 7-8:30

Wed. Oct 1 - Kilometers for KAMSC Fun Run Event - 6-7pm KCentral Track