KSTM Newsletter December 2025

As we return from our Thanksgiving Holiday break, we look forward to seeing all our students return on Monday, December 1, 2025. When they return on December 1st, it is a "B-day" on the school calendar. There are only 15 school days in December until Winter Break - every minute matters!!!

Also, here are a few reminders about upcoming events and calendar dates in December:

• Our Instrumental WINTER CONCERT starts promptly at 5:30pm on December 2nd in the cafeteria.
• The school Spelling Bee will take place during the day on Wednesday, December 3rd in the library.
• Our Vocal Winter Performance starts promptly at 5:30pm on December 4th in the cafeteria
• We will have a SPIRIT WEEK the week of December 15th - please check the website and social media account for specific themes. We will also have our semester PEP RALLY on Friday, December 19th with students to recognize first semester teams and clubs while having a friendly staff vs. 8th grade student Volleyball game. There will be no after school events and no late buses on Friday, December 19th - all students will be dismissed after the PEP Rally for the end of first semester.
• WINTER RECESS: Students will be on Winter RECESS from December 20th until January 4th, 2026. After Winter Recess, students will return to school on Monday, January 5th, 2026. It will be an "A-day"!

#KSTMPROUD,

Jane Laughlin

Principal

We want to express our gratitude to everyone who supports students coming to school every day, on time, and ready to learn.

Thank you to our students and families for making daily attendance a priority. Thank you to our wonderful teachers who pour their energy into making each classroom an exciting place for exploration and knowledge, so children do not want to miss learning. Thank you to our support staff and community volunteers who provide the extra hands and attention our children need.

It takes an average of three days for students to catch up for every one day of being absent. Students who miss less than nine days throughout the school year will attain the goal of missing less than 5% of the entire school year.

Attention Students and Families: There are 415 minutes in the school day, and every minute counts! Tardies to class disrupt the classroom, interrupt the lesson, and put students at risk of falling behind. These reminders started on Monday, September 15th and will go out daily. The school will send daily emails to parents and guardians of students who were tardy to one or more classes. BE RESPONSIBLE, WILDCATS! Get to class on time.

Winter MAP Testing: Students will be taking the reading MAP test in their ELA class the week of December 1 and the math MAP test in their math classes the week of December 8. The MAP test is a great opportunity for students and families to see how much growth a student experiences over the course of the year. Be sure to get a good night's sleep and eat a healthy breakfast before testing. Please reach out to KSTM Instructional Facilitator, Kelcey Schmitz, via email at Kelcey.schmitz@ops.org or via phone at 531-299-8027 with any questions regarding testing.

These students were recognized for meeting the MAP Growth Goals in both areas of English Language Arts and Math - this is an amazing accomplishment! The top 50 students with the greatest growth also received a $10 gift certificate to Big Mama's Kitchen and Catering.

🌟 Wildcats Club (WCC) Update 🌟

📘 What We Did — November Highlights

November was a busy and meaningful month for Wildcats Club!
Nov 4th – College & Career Exploration:
WCC students toured Iowa Western Community College, where they explored campus life and learned about a variety of health careers. Our Wildcats asked great questions and showed true curiosity about their futures!

Nov 3rd – Book Challenge Kickoff:
We launched our second Sip, Read, Repeat Book Challenge, encouraging students to build strong reading habits with fun incentives.

Nov 12th – Harvest Night Family Event:
Families joined us for a warm and festive Harvest Night, filled with connection, activities, and celebration. Thank you to all who attended!

📚 What We Are Doing — Right Now in WCC

We’re in full swing with our 8-week Sip, Read, Repeat reading challenge!
Students are logging their minutes each week and competing to become one of our Top 3 Readers (prizes coming soon!).

✨ Current Leaders:

• 1st Place: Jozlyn Gordon — over 250 minutes

• 2nd Place: Daisy Richards — over 180 minutes

There is still time to submit reading logs after we return from Thanksgiving break—every minute counts!

🎉 What’s to Come — December Events

Dec 6 — Hour of Code Tech Fair Field Trip
Students will head to Lincoln, NE for a hands-on day of coding, robotics, and interactive technology activities. This is always one of our most exciting STEM experiences!

Dec 12 — WCC Winter Wonderland Celebration
Join us for our festive end-of-year celebration filled with fun, creativity, and winter cheer!

📅 Save the Dates

Please note: There will be no WCC on December 2nd, 4th, or 19th.

Free service through NDE and NSCS

Nebraska SMART, a free online tutoring program developed by the Nebraska State Colleges in partnership with the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE), has now expanded statewide, providing all K–12 students with access to one-on-one academic support at no cost.

How Nebraska SMART Works:

• Parents must register their children for tutoring through the Nebraska SMART website.
• Once registered, students (or parents) can schedule sessions or connect instantly using our on-demand feature.
• Tutoring is available in 15-, 30-, 45-, or 60-minute increments; on-demand sessions are available in 10-minute blocks.
• All sessions take place on Pearl, a secure online tutoring platform that records and manages communication.
• Tutors are education majors who have been admitted to their programs, completed background checks, and are mentored by College Program Coordinators.

Our community provides many resources to assist families. You can find a list of local programs and services below. For help connecting with any of these supports, please reach out to the school social worker, Kasia Piercy, at (531) 299-8537.

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

These are the days your teen will want to remember forever. Help make their year unforgettable by purchasing a 2025-2026 yearbook. For only $20.00, your student will have a book that will be enjoyed for years to come.

Buy Online with a credit card, debit card or PayPal at yearbookforever.com or at school with cash or check in the front office. Order now so your child won’t miss out when the books are distributed.

As an adult, you know how important memories become. Don’t let your child’s memories fade; make sure they get a yearbook today!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Buser

Yearbook Adviser, King Science Technology Middle School

If you have any questions about the information included from the KSTM Health Office, please call our nurse, Pam Anderson at 531-299-2381

We would like to remind 7th Grade Families:

7th grade families that students need a physical exam and to be up to date on all immunizations before school begins. This is a requirement based on Nebraska state law. We recommend contacting your child’s healthcare provider now, as spots can fill up quickly. Families can also visit a school-based health center. Bring copies of health information to school prior to the start of the school year OR have the health care provider fax records to the school – Attention: School Nurse. If you have already submitted this information, no additional paperwork is needed. If you have any questions, please contact the school and ask to speak with the school nurse.

The phone number for the nurse's offices is 531-299-2381

Estimadas familias de estudiantes de 7º grado:

¡Estamos muy emocionados de darle la bienvenida a su estudiante al 7o grado este otoño! Enviamos este mensaje a todas las familias que ingresan al 7º grado como recordatorio de que los estudiantes necesitan un examen físico y estar al día con todas las vacunas antes de que comiencen las clases. Este es un requisito basado en la ley estatal de Nebraska. Le recomendamos que se comunique con el proveedor de atención médica de su hijo ahora, ya que los lugares pueden llenarse rápidamente. Las familias también pueden visitar un Centro de salud en las escuelas. Traiga copias de la información de salud a la escuela antes del comienzo del año escolar o haga que el proveedor de atención médica envíe por fax los registros a la escuela – Dirigido al: Enfermero(a) escolar. Si ya ha enviado esta información, no se necesita papeleo adicional. Si tiene alguna pregunta, comuníquese con la escuela de su hijo. Tenga en cuenta que las llamadas se responderán esporádicamente mientras el personal esté de vacaciones de verano. Las secretarias escolares regresan el 1ro de agosto.

This summer, our district notified families that students at King Science will continue to receive lunch at no cost, regardless of income, through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).

We encourage our families to complete an Educational Benefits Form by Sept. 24 to see if they qualify for additional benefits including:

• Discounted home internet services

• Discounted or waived fees for SAT, PSAT, ACT, AP and other academic tests

• Waived or reduced college and postsecondary application and course fees

• Scholarship options

• Access to career, internship and other community programs

Log in to SchoolCafe and click “Apply for Benefits” to complete the form. It only takes a few minutes to complete if you have your household income details handy.

One form covers all students in your household. If you have already completed an Educational Benefits Form or Free and Reduced Meal Application through SchoolCafe, you can check your eligibility status on your account dashboard.

Please reach out to our office if you need help completing your application.

8th Grade Administrators:

• Ms. LaDeidre Jackson: 531-299-4016 LaDeidre.Jackson@ops.org
• Mr. Odell Santos: 531-299-3774 Odell.Santos@ops.org

7th Grade Administrator

• Ms. Nicole Benson: 531-299-7030 Nicole.Benson@ops.org

6th Grade Administrator

• Ms. Roxana Silva: 531-299-9049 Carmen.Silva@ops.org

Instructional Facilitator (all grade levels)

• Mrs. Kelcey Schmitz, 531-299-8027 Kelcey.Schmitz@ops.org

Contact AP-DP Ms. LaDeidre Jackson at 531-299-4016 w/ questions regarding the Parent Portal

Contact AD Odell Santos with questions regarding sports activities or events at 531-299-3774

MTSS-B stands for Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for Behavior. MTSS-B focuses on behavior Expectations that are prioritized and used all through King Science.

The framework for MTSS-B is:

• A Problem-solving framework for behavior

• A systematic standardized implementation of evidence-based practices

• A framework with standardized practices that has tiers of increasingly intensive supports that increase the likelihood students are academically, emotionally, behaviorally and socially successful.

At King Science with have two tiers of MTSS-B.

Tier 1 serves every student through our school wide expectations “The King Way”

• Be Respectful

• Be Responsible

• Be Safe

Students who show positive behaviors that match The King Way can be awarded Wildcat Bucks, which they can exchange in our Wildcat Store every few weeks.

Tier 2 serves a smaller portion of students who need more support than Tier 1. The Tier 2 team gives instruction to students on how to solve peer conflicts and helps them improve their attendance.

Attention Students: There are 415 minutes in the school day, and every minute counts! Tardies to class disrupt the classroom, interrupt the lesson, and put students at risk of falling behind. Beginning this week any student who has 3 tardies during the week will be assigned an afterschool detention the following week. BE RESPONSIBLE, WILDACTS ! Get to class on time.

• Cell Phones and Personal Devices must be off and out of sight during the school day from 7:40-3:05
• Student failure to comply may result in their personal device being confiscated by administration.
• Parent Communication and Code of Conduct consequences may be applied for repeated violations of the No Cell Phone/No personal device policy.
• If you have any questions regarding this, please call the grade level administrator.

Personal devices (headphones, earbuds, cell phones) and big backpacks are to be put away during the school day. String backpacks are available for purchase in the main office for $10 in Wildcat Bucks.

Please assist the school in making sure that students are not bringing any items to school in their bags, backpacks, or purses that would be considered a weapon. If found in possession of a weapon at school that Code of Conduct consequences will apply.

The OPS Parent Survey link is open all year long.

SURVEY LINK: http://www.tinyurl.com/OPSParentVoice