KAMSC Newsletter

Thank you all so much for another incredible fundraiser! This year’s Kilometers for KAMSC was a huge success, bringing our community together for a fun, active, and healthy event while supporting our school. Together, we raised over $9,700 with just over 100 people turning out to walk, run, and cheer us on! We loved seeing students, parents, staff, and families all participating together and incorporating our Challenge Success goals into such a positive community evening. We are still raising funds through midnight tonight.

A huge thank you to sophomore Marta Kellam and Mark Allabaugh for co-leading the event this year! Marta and Mark did a phenomenal job organizing, gathering donations, arranging prizes, and keeping everything running smoothly. We also want to give a special shout-out to Andora Volz, Madison Alspach, and Fiona Tauren for serving as fantastic DJs, keeping the energy high, and setting the perfect tone for the event.

Please accept our sincerest thank you from everyone at KAMSC to all who donated, shared the link, volunteered, or came out to participate. Your support makes a lasting impact on our school community!

Heather Kortlandt

Director, KAMSC

Mrs. Hoholer's Biomedical Science class learns about the major muscles of the body. Mrs. Hohler unveiled the Anatomage machine and demonstrated how to click to reveal muscle names, remove layers to see hidden muscles and discussed how they can use this new learning tool to study for their upcoming tests. They also have some online tools through Anatomage they can use to study at home as well. KAMSC was awarded a grant from the Charles T. Little Foundation to purchase the Anatomage machine this fall. This is a future forward move for our KAMSC learning environment as most medical schools are moving to this technology. Our students will go off to college prepared to use it. We hope to raise funds for a 2nd table so more students can participate at once.

As part of our Challenge Success Iniatives, Mrs. Kortlandt hosts a group of students from each grade level throughout the school year before open lab. Questions are posed to the group to help Mrs. K understand challenges students might be facing at KAMSC. The group also helps support Challenge Success Intiatives, like most recently there were many that showed up to volunteer at Kilometers for KAMSC. Here are our advisory council members for the 2026-2027 school year.

Mylo Chow - 9th grade *new member

Elijah Martin - 9th grade *new member

Isha Thakkar - 9th grade *new member

Nihal Buttar - 10th grade

Mae Haymaker - 10th grade -* new member

Rania Jayakusuma - 10th grade * new member

Poojani Attanayake - 11th grade

Mark Allabaugh - 11th grade - president

Samaira Agarwal - 11th grade - vice president

Fiona Tauren - 12th grade

Seneli Amaratunga - 12th grade

The AP Environmental Science class will meet at the MSU, W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary (students transporting themselves). They will measure trees, calculate their economic value and contributions to the environment and also tour the sanctuary to compare the microhabitats and look for bird adaptations. . If you haven't yet filled out the opt in form for the school year, please do so. Use the button below. If you did fill that out but would like to opt your child out of this particular field trip, please use the opt out form as well.

Next week, Friday, October 16th Mr. Sinclair's Geology Class will walk to downtown Kalamazoo to study rock facings on buildings and discuss rock types used. Please make sure you have opted your child in for all field trips this year using the opt in form and if you need to opt them out of this particular trip, please do so now with the opt out form.

Introducing the KAMSC Tech Club: Come to Our First Meeting!

Ever wanted to fly a drone, defend a network from hackers, or compete in a national skills competition? The KAMSC Tech Club is a brand-new, student-led home for anyone curious about technology, regardless of technology experience (EVERYONE is welcome!)

Our club brings together multiple technology-based programs:

SkillsUSA: hands-on career and technical skills, plus the chance to compete in national competitions
Aerial Drone Competitions: learn to build, fly, program, and compete with drones
CyberPatriots: learn cybersecurity and compete in a national defense competition

AND MORE competition opportunities to be announced soon!

Why join?

Leadership: Step up as a team captain, committee chair, or vice president, just to name a few. We'll announce board applications at our first meeting!
Awards and recognition: Compete at regional, state, national, and even international levels and earn medals, trophies, and titles that stand out on your resume.
Career connections: Meet professionals, explore careers in cybersecurity, aviation, and the trades, and earn certifications along the way.
Friends and community: Find your people, whether you're a total beginner or already a tech whiz.

You don't need any experience, and you don't have to pick just one. Come check us out for details on all of our programs!

First Meeting: Wednesday, October 14th
Time: 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm (thirty minutes before open lab)
Location: Dr. Edwards' Room (Room #407)

Questions? Find Claire Yuan or email 03claire.yuan@kamsc.org

In-person attendance is vital—our fast-paced, collaborative lab environment relies on active daily participation and cannot be replicated outside the classroom.

Absence Notification If your student will be absent:

• Partial day (during KAMSC classes): Notify KAMSC.

• Full day: Notify both KAMSC and your partner school.

• Contact KAMSC: Call 337-0004 or email kamsc.office@kamsc.org.

Chronic Absenteeism Policy KAMSC aligns with the state definition of chronic absenteeism: missing more than 10% of school days (1 full day = 2 KAMSC periods). In-person attendance is required to remain in the program.

Click below to review our office procedures for students exceeding the 10% threshold.

Every year Ms. Joyce sets up many visits from College reps here at KAMSC. Click the button below to view the schedule so that you can come speak to them. Click the button below to see the list and make a plan to visit as many as possible.

Last year three of our students in HOSA, Hannah Bippley, Sarah Cho, and Aichatou Salifou presented at an open lab alongside the Alzheimer's association on connections between healthy lifestyle choices to Alzheimer's prevention. They announced at that time that they would be forming a KAMSC team to participate in the Kalamazoo walk to fight and end Alzheimer's Please see their flyer below and consider signing up to join the team in the walk and to donate to the great cause. The walk is: Saturday, October 17th at Bronson Park, 200 S Rose Street, Kalamazoo, MI.

Tutoring is available now. If you are in need, click the button below and sign up!

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 see what students have a C or lower in any class which indicates a need for support to us or if a teacher recommends additional support regardless of grades. 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.

We wanted to institute a private way that you could report any type of bullying at KAMSC. Mrs. Allbee has created a report form to do so. Either she or Mrs. Kortlandt will follow up if enough information is provided. We have not had an issue with bullying at KAMSC but we want to make sure there are channels open for reporting in case there were to ever be an incident. This will live in our newsletter, every, single week.

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. Oct. 14 - Open Lab - Study Skills Session provided for students 6-7:30

Wed. Oct 14 - APES to travel to Bird Sanctuary 11-2pm

Friday Oct 16 - Honors Geology walk downtown for fieldtrip 2:00-3:15

Sat. Oct. 17 - Alzheimer's KAMSC Team walk

Wed. Oct 21 - Open Lab 6-7:30

Wed. Oct. 21 Parent Org Meeting 6:15-7:15

Tues Oct 27 - APES field trip to Cemetery

Wed. Oct 28 - Open Lab 6-7:30

Friday Oct 30 - No students, Teacher Records Day

Saturday Nov 7 - GISMO - Girls Investigate Science & Math Opportunities - grades 6-7