Linden Middle School

Dear LMS Families,

As we welcome the month of November, we’d like to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your continued support and partnership. Your involvement—whether it’s volunteering, attending school events, or encouraging your student at home—plays a vital role in the success of our school community.

This time of year reminds us how thankful we are for our dedicated families, staff, and students who make Linden Middle School such a special place to learn and grow. As we move into the busy weeks ahead, we’re excited to share important updates, upcoming events, and celebrations of the great work happening throughout our school.

Thank you for being an essential part of our Linden family.

Thank you for everything you do.

Important Dates

November 5 - 6th Grade Class meetings

November 6 - 7th Grade Class meetings

Zero Referral Club
LMS Parent Meeting - 8:15am

November 7 - 8th Grade Class meetings

LMS Band Party - 6pm-8pm

November 11 - Soar Leader meeting - 7:15am

NJHS meeting 7:15 am

November 13 - World Kindness Day

November 11-15 - LMS Book Fair

November 26-28 - No School - Thanksgiving Break

December 2 - EDP Field trip 12:15 pm

Decmeber 6 - MS 7th/8th grade - Solo and Ensamble

LMS Parent Meeting

We will have our next parent meeting of the 2025-2026 school year on November 6, at 8:00 a.m., here at Linden Middle School. Please check in at the main office and you will be directed to the meeting location. If you are interested in being part of this group please email me and I will add you to the distribution list. kenders@lindenschools.org

Washington DC trip 2026-2027

Attention 7th grader parents there is still time to sign your child up for next year's Washington DC trip, but spots are filling up fast. Please contact Mrs. McBride with any questions or concerns that you may have. (hmcbride@lindenschools.org)

Assistant Principal News

Hello LMS Families,

We have a busy week/month coming up here at LMS and the expectation for our students will remain very high. This week we have scheduled our quarterly class meetings where we discuss everything from classroom behaviors to expectations in the cafeteria to our first Zero Referral Club celebration this school year. It is a time when we are able to speak to the whole student body and address some concerns we are seeing, but to also applaud the majority of our students who do exactly what they are asked to do every day. We are very fortunate to have such a positive environment here at LMS.

The Zero Referral Club is Thursday, November 6th and will be held at the Multipurpose Building. Each class will attend for a little less than an hour where we will have multiple different activities set up for the students to have a blast with their friends. Teachers will be down there with the students celebrating their awesome start to the year. The only students who will be able to attend are the students who have not received a discipline referral yet this year. The students who have received a referral will stay back at LMS and be in a classroom with a staff member who stays back. Our hope with continuing this club is to motivate students to make good decisions daily so they can attend the next time we do this in a few months. This is our third year of doing this and we have had great feedback and we don't expect that to change.

Please continue to have tough conversations with your students. Middle school is a hard time for our youth, but together we can get them through this and help raise them to become amazing young men and young women. Do not hesitate to reach out as we are here to help. Thank you and I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!

Lance Belill

Assistant Principal

Linden Middle School

810-591-0782

Counselor's Corner

Restorative Practices in Middle School

In middle school, we actively use restorative practices to support students during conflicts. These practices create a positive and collaborative environment.

What are restorative practices:

Restorative practices are approaches designed to strengthen and repair relationships within our community. They emphasize proactive community-building and reactive problem-solving, focusing on creating an environment of trust and belonging. Unlike traditional punitive methods, restorative practices aim to foster accountability and healing, ensuring that everyone feels valued and connected.

Here’s how it works:

When students encounter a conflict with a peer, they can request a meeting to discuss the issue.

A support staff member—such as the School Counselor, School Social Worker, or an administrator—will be present to guide the conversation.

This approach encourages understanding and helps resolve conflicts in a constructive way.

Participation is voluntary; students are never forced to engage. We have found that when students decide to participate, conflicts are resolved quickly, and they gain the skills needed to handle similar situations on their own in the future.

As facilitators, our primary role is to support students in developing the skills needed to independently resolve conflicts. In middle school, we may not always reach out to parents after a restorative conversation, unless there is an issue that requires follow-up. Our focus is on helping students build the skills to become independent problem-solvers. Your understanding and support in this process are invaluable as we guide them toward these essential life skills.

For more information on Restorative Practices, visit the Genesee County Counselors Middle School Parent Newsletter.

-Jennifer Gambrel (A-K counselor) & Tiffany Roehrig (L-Z counselor)